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Class 
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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



Chronologically and Historically 
Related 



BY 



JAMES R. KAYE, Ph.D. 

Author of Chart History of the World; The Key to the Treasury; The Chart Bible: 
Essentials of History; Students' Bible Manual, etc. 



Published and Copyrighted by the 

SNOWDON PUBLISHING COMPANY 

CHICAGO, ILL. 
1920 



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CONTENTS 



PART I. THE ANCIENT ERA 

CHAPTER I. EGYPT 4 

I. Prior to the Christian Era 4 

Period of the Hyksos Kings 7 

Reign of Thothmes III 8 

Thebes 9 

Period of Rameses II 10 

Period of Rameses XIII 12 

Period of Ptolemy II 12 

II. The Christian Era 13 

The Second Century 14 

The Third Century 15 

The Fourth Century 17 

The Fifth Century 18 

CHAPTER II. ASSYRIA 22 

Semiramis 23 

Reign of Tiglath-Pileser III 24 

CHAPTER III. PERSIA 26 

The Fall of Babylon 27 

Reign of Cambyses II 29 

Reign of Xerxes 1 30 

CHAPTER IV. GREECE 33 

The Persian Wars 35 

Pausanias 37 

Age of Pericles 38 

The Peloponnesian War 40 

Period of Alexander the Great 43 

CHAPTER V. CARTHAGE 46 

The Punic Wars 47 

Hamilcar 47 

Hannibal 48 

Fall of Carthage 50 

The New Carthage 51 

CHAPTER VI. THE ROMAN REPUBLIC 54 

Mithridates and Spartacus 56 

Julius Caesar 58 

iii 



iv CONTENTS 

CHAPTER VII. THE ROMAN EMPIRE 61 

I. Period of Expansion — From Augustus to Trajan 62 

The Augustan Age 63 

Reign of Tiberius 65 

Reign of Claudius 69 

Reign of Nero 72 

Reign of Vespasian 76 

Reign of Titus 79 

Reign of Domitian 81 

Reign of Nerva 82 

Reign of Trajan 83 

II. Period of Prosperity and Decline — From Hadrian to Diocle- 
tian 84 

Reign of Hadrian 85 

Reign of Marcus Aurelius 86 

Reigns of Decius and Valerian 88 

Reign of Diocletian 89 

III. Last Years of the Empire — From Constantine to the Fall of 

the Empire 91 

Reign of Constantine 91 

Reign of Valentinian 93 

Reign of Theodosius 93 

Reign of Honorius 94 

Invasion of the Huns 97 

CHAPTER VIII. THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD 98 

I. The Eastern Roman Empire 100 

II. England '. 103 

The Arthurian Period 103 

Early England— To the Time of Egbert 105 



PART II. THE MEDIEVAL ERA 

THE MEDIEVAL ERA Ill 

CHAPTER I. THE EMPIRE OF CHARLEMAGNE 113 

CHAPTER II. FRANCE— TO THE HUNDRED YEARS' 

WAR 116 

Reign of Louis VII 117 

Reign of Philip Augustus 119 

Reign of Philip IV 121 

CHAPTER III. ENGLAND— TO THE HUNDRED YEARS' 

WAR 123 

I. To the Norman Conquest 124 

Reign of Alfred the Great 124 

Reign of Edwy 127 

Reign of Ethelred II 127 

The Danish Kings. . . 128 

Return to the English Line 129 

Edward the Confessor 129 

Reign of Harold 130 



CONTENTS y 

II. The Norman Period / 131 

Reign of William the Conqueror, l/ 132 

Reign of William Ruf us 133 

Reign of Henry 1 136 

Reign of Stephen 137 

III. The Angevin or Plantagenet Kings 139 

Reign of Henry II 139 

Reign of Richard 1 143 

Reign of John 146 

Reign of Henry III 148 

Reign of Edward 1 151 

Reign of Edward II 156 

CHAPTER IV. THE CRUSADES 159 

The Various Crusades 160 

The First Crusade 161 

The Third Crusade 162 

The Children's Crusade 164 

CHAPTER V. ITALY— TO THE HUNDRED YEARS' WAR. 166 

CHAPTER VI. THE HUNDRED YEARS' WAR 173 

Reign of Edward III 174 

Reign of Richard II 179 

Reign of Henry IV 181 

Reign of Henry V 183 

Reign of Henry VI 185 

CHAPTER VII. SCOTLAND. PERIOD OF THE HUNDRED 

YEARS' WAR 189 

Reign of James I 189 

Reign of James II 191 

CHAPTER VIII. ITALY. PERIOD OF THE HUNDRED 

YEARS' WAR 194 

CHAPTER IX. BELGIUM. PERIOD OF THE HUNDRED 

YEARS' WAR 200 

CHAPTER X. GERMANY-BOHEMIA. TO THE CLOSE OF 

THE HUNDRED YEARS' WAR 204 

CHAPTER XI. THE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE 209 

CHAPTER XII. ENGLAND. FROM THE FALL OF CON- 
STANTINOPLE TO THE DISCOVERY OF 
AMERICA 215 

I. Wars of the Roses 215 

Reign of Henry VI 215 

Reign of Edward IV 217 

Reigns of Edward V and Richard III 221 

II. House of Tudor 226 

Reign of Henry VII 226 

CHAPTER XIII. FRANCE. FROM THE FALL OF CON- 
STANTINOPLE TO THE DISCOVERY OF AMER- 
ICA 231 

Reign of Louis XI 231 

Reign of Charles VIII 236 



vi • CONTENTS 

CHAPTER XIV. ITALY. FROM THE FALL OF CONSTAN- 
TINOPLE TO THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA.. 233 

CHAPTER XV. SPAIN. FROM THE FALL OF CONSTAN- 
TINOPLE TO THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA.. 244 



PART III. THE MODERN ERA 

THE BRITISH ISLES 

THE MODERN ERA 251 

CHAPTER I. THE HOUSE OF TUDOR 253 

Reign of Henry VIII 253 

Scotland During the Reign of Henry VIII 259 

Reign of Edward VI 261 

Reign of Mary 263 

Reign of Elizabeth 268 

CHAPTER II. FROM THE AGE OF ELIZABETH TO THE 

COMMONWEALTH 278 

Reign of James 1 278 

Reign of Charles 1 282 

CHAPTER III. THE COMMONWEALTH 288 

CHAPTER IV. FROM THE COMMONWEALTH TO THE 

HOUSE OF HANOVER 295 

Reign of Charles II 295 

Reign of James II , 303 

Reign of William III 306 

Reign of Queen Anne 310 

CHAPTER V. FROM THE STUART DYNASTY TO THE 

FRENCH REVOLUTION 315 

Reign of George 1 316 

Reign of George II 321 

Reign of George III 333 

CHAPTER VI. FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE FRENCH 
REVOLUTION TO THE ACCESSION OF QUEEN 

VICTORIA 339 

Period of the French Revolution 33® 

The Napoleonic Era 345 

P_egency and Reign of George IV 348 

Reign of William IV 351 

CHAPTER VII. THE VICTORIAN AGE 354 

Rebecca Riots 355 

Daniel O'Connell 355 

The Irish Famine 356 

The Disruption 357 

The Chartist Agitation 358 

The Prison System 359 

The Crimean War 359 

The Cotton Famine 361 

The Fenian Rebellion 362 

Home Rule and Land League 362 

Affairs in India 363 



CONTENTS vii 



FRANCE 

CHAPTER I. FROM THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA TO 

LOUIS XIV 368 

Reign of Francis 1 369 

Reign of Henry II 374 

Reign of Charles IX 376 

Reign of Henry III 379 

Reign of Henry IV 382 

Reign of Louis XIII 384 

CHAPTER II. FROM THE ACCESSION OF LOUIS XIV 

TO THE FRENCH REVOLUTION 391 

Reign of Louis XIV 392 

I. Administration of Mazarin 392 

II. The Acme of Absolutism 395 

III. Period of Decline 399 

Reign of Louis XV * 405 

Reign of Louis XVI 409 

CHAPTER III. THE FRENCH REVOLUTION 413 

To the National Convention 415 

The National Convention 418 

The Directory 426 

CHAPTER IV. THE RISE AND EMPIRE OF NAPOLEON. 430 

I. The Consulate 431 

II. The Empire 434 

The Third Coalition 436 

The Fourth Coalition 437 

Conflict with England — Peninsula War 440 

The Fifth Coalition 444 

Invasion of Russia 446 

The Sixth Coalition 448 

The Waterloo Campaign 450 

CHAPTER V. RESTORATION AND SECOND REPUBLIC 455 

Reign of Louis XVIII 455 

Reign of Charles X 456 

Reign of Louis Philippe 456 

The Second Republic. Presidency of Louis Napoleon 458 

CHAPTER VI. THE SECOND EMPIRE AND THIRD RE- 
PUBLIC 461 

Reign of Napoleon III 461 

I. To the Franco-German War 461 

II. The Franco-German War 464 

The Third Republic 472 



viii CONTENTS 



AMERICA 

I. To the American Revolution 

To the American Revolution 475 

CHAPTER I. DISCOVERY AND CONQUEST 477 

CHAPTER II. THE FOUNDING OF THE COLONIES 482 

Virginia 482 

Massachusetts 484 

New Netherland 489 

Carolina and Georgia 491 

CHAPTER III. THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 494 

II. The American Revolution 

CHAPTER I. THE WAR IN NEW ENGLAND AND CANADA 500 

The Stamp Act 500 

The War in New England 501 

The War in Canada 505 

CHAPTER II. THE WAR IN THE MIDDLE STATES 508 

CHAPTER III. NAVAL WARFARE OF THE REVOLUTION 515 

CHAPTER IV. THE WAR IN THE SOUTHERN STATES. . . . 519 

The Treason of Benedict Arnold 522 

Closing Events of the War 524 

III. Organization — Development — Sectionalism 

Organization — Development — Sectionalism 526 

CHAPTER I. TO THE WAR OF 1812 528 

Administration of George Washington 528 

Administration of John Adams 530 

Administration of Thomas Jefferson 531 

CHAPTER II. THE WAR OF 1812 535 

Administration of James Madison 535 

CHAPTER III. FROM THE WAR OF 1812 TO THE CIVIL 

WAR 543 

Administration of James Monroe 543 

Administration of Andrew Jackson 545 

Administration of Martin Van Buren 548 

Administration of James K. Polk 550 

The Mexican War 550 

Administration of Zachary Taylor 552 

Administration of James Buchanan 554 

CHAPTER IV. THE CIVIL WAR 557 

Administration of Abraham Lincoln 

To the Capture of Vicksburg 558 

From the Fall of Vicksburg to the Capture of Savannah 561 

Closing Events of the War 565 



CONTENTS ix 

IV. Period of Expansion 

CHAPTER I. TO THE WAR WITH SPAIN 568 

Administration of Ulysses S. Grant 570 

Administration of Grover Cleveland 571 

Administration of Benjamin Harrison 572 

Administration of Grover Cleveland 573 

CHAPTER II. THE WAR WITH SPAIN 575 

Administration of William McKinley 575 



DOMINION OF CANADA 

Dominion of Canada 580 

CHAPTER I. CANADA UNDER FRANCE 581 

CHAPTER II. CANADA UNDER GREAT BRITAIN 590 

To the Reign of Queen Victoria 590 

The Victorian Era 592 



GERMANY— AUSTRIA 

Germany — Austria 598 

CHAPTER I. FROM THE REFORMATION TO THE 

THIRTY YEARS' WAR 599 

Reigns of Maximilian I. and Charles V 600 

CHAPTER II. THE THIRTY YEARS' WAR 606 

CHAPTER III. FROM THE PEACE OF WESTPHALIA TO 

THE PEACE OF PARIS 611 

Silesian and Seven Years' Wars 612 

CHAPTER IV. THE GERMAN CONFEDERATION AND 

EMPIRE 616 

To the Franco-German War 616 

The Franco-German War 620 



ITALY 



CHAPTER I. TO THE FALL OF NAPOLEON 621 

Contentions of Invaders 621 

From the Council of Trent to Waterloo 627 

CHAPTER II. ITALY SINCE THE FALL OF NAPOLEON.. 634 

I. To the Revolution of 1848 634 

II. The Unity of Italy 636 



CONTENTS 



SPAIN 

CHAPTER I. FROM THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA TO 

ISABELLA II 640 

I. To the Reign of Philip III 640 

II. From Philip III. to Philip V 644 

CHAPTER II. REIGN OF ISABELLA II 647 

HOLLAND— BELGIUM 

Holland— Belgium 651 

CHAPTER I. FROM THE REFORMATION TO THE RE- 
VOLT OF THE NETHERLANDS ,.. 652 

CHAPTER II. THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE 658 



RUSSIA— POLAND 

CHAPTER I. FROM IVAN IV. TO CATHERINE II 666 

I. From Ivan IV to Peter the Great 667 

Reign of Ivan IV 667 

To the Reign of Michael 669 

Reign of Alexis 669 

II. Reign of Peter the Great 670 

III. From Peter the Great to Catherine II 673 

CHAPTER II. FROM CATHERINE II TO THE PRESENT 

TIME 676 

Reign of Catherine II 677 

Reign of Paul 1 679 

The Napoleonic Era 680 

Reign of Nicholas 1 680 

Reign of Alexander II 681 



JAPAN— CHINA 

I. The Commercial Treaty with Japan 683 

II. The Boxer Rebellion 684 

III. The Russo-Japanese War 685 



AFRICA 

I. The Portuguese Enterprise 688 

II. The Kaffir Wars 688 

III. The Ashanti War 689 

IV. The Zulu War 690 

V. The South African War 691 

Conclusion 693 

Index 695 



FOREWORD 

The peculiar distinction of historical fiction lies in its historical 
significance and relations. The design of the writers of such fic- 
tion is not simply the reconstruction of some historical period or 
event. The past is restored and made to live again. It is re- 
vived but it is also vivified. The novelist is not simply the histo- 
rian, just as he is not, properly speaking, a historian. His work 
is not a treatise on history, but he uses historical facts as the 
groundwork or setting of his larger purpose. He imparts a living 
significance to the by-gone events as the historian does not. He 
does not talk about the characters or report their deeds. They 
live, talk, and act for themselves in his representations. In a 
word, his work is that of delineation, characterization, interpreta- 
tion. But it is this as distinct from non-historical fiction, as deal- 
ing with the actualities of the past in the events and affairs of the 
world. 

The ruling purpose of this volume is expressed in the title — it 
is to interpret this class of fiction chronologically and historically. 
To do this in the manner designed it is necessary to bring forward 
the history of those periods and events which constitute the histor- 
ical setting of the fiction in each instance. In this manner the 
reader is made familiar with the facts, or the facts forgotten for 
the time being are brought back to recollection. 

The intelligent understanding of this body of fiction requires 
some such historical procedure. The reader of any of these 
works may not be familiar with the facts. In such a case, to have 
the history briefly sketched in the manner in which it is here done 
and brought into such close relation to the stories precludes the 
necessity of resorting to the historical treatise for the facts. 

Again, what is true of the ordinary facts of history relative to 
the historical setting of this fiction is equally true of the philosoph- 
ical, theological and other ideas that hold a dominant place in some 
of these works. That is true of such interests as Stoicism, Epicu- 
reanism, Neo-Platonism, Athanasianism, Arianism and other 
forms of the world's thinking. The treatment of these matters, 
and others of similar import that appear in the works of these 



FOREWORB 

authors, is in line with the general purpose as set forth in the 
historical sketches. 

As regards the "Historical Outlines," in many instances but 
a limited portion of the whole period has any place in the stories 
written. But the Outline not only gives in this form the period 
as a whole, but it enables the reader to get the historical approach 
to those moments that are specifically treated. 

The value of a treatise of this order is enhanced by the com- 
pleteness of the index. In this feature of our work special care 
has been taken to satisfy the most critical demands. 

In placing this work before the public the author's aim is to 
bring these productions of the world's great workers into more 
direct connection with the facts with which they deal than has 
ordinarily been done by works dealing with historical fiction. 
The author entertains the hope that this treatment of the subject 
will not only inspire a deeper interest in the world's best books of 
this class, but place the reader in a position to understand aright 
their point of view. 

Oak Park, 111. J. R. K. 



HISTORICAL FICTION 

Chronologically and Historically Related 



PART I 
THE ANCIENT ERA 

History should be studied from the standpoint of cause and 
effect. That is but a superficial understanding of history that can 
give a list of events but cannot supply the causal relation. Emer- 
son has said that history is biography ; but that explains it only in 
a measure. If the study of history is but the study of the indi- 
vidual, the social unit, the question remains, how are we to under- 
stand the individual? How connect the particulars with general 
principles ? 

The last statement distinguishes the deeper meaning of his- 
tory. History is something more than a series of events, some- 
thing more than a string of historical beads with the string ignored 
or left out of account. The philosophy of history is the relation 
of particular events to their underlying causes and conditions. 
Not until this relation is discovered, and the laws and processes 
by which certain things have become inevitable are understood, 
can it be said that history has been invested with its true meaning. 
To understand why certain things operative in the Roman State 
for example, produced certain necessary results, is not only to 
grasp their significance in regard to Rome, but to establish that 
larger generalization, that the same causes operative under like 
conditions will produce like results. 

When it is said that the whole of history is represented by an 
individual life several things are suggested. The first is, that the 
whole expresses the characteristics of the parts. The individual 
man is the measure of a community of men. The nation composed 
of individuals is subject to the law of individuals. The nation, 
as also the race, must pass through its various evolutions from 



2 HISTORICAL FICTION 

infancy to youth, maturity and old age, under the same deter- 
mining processes as govern individual development. And the 
understanding of this process relative to the individual life is 
the key to that larger racial development. 

The study of history is the discovery of the seeds in their 
germination, perceiving the environments and operation of forces 
upon that hidden life, and watching for the bud, the blossom, and 
the flower as necessary stages in the process. The root may lie 
in Egypt and the flower appear in Greece. It is essential in this 
all-important study that we follow these movements from nation 
to nation, from age to age, in order properly to articulate the parts, 
and thus interpret the present by all the contributions of the past. 

We can no more separate the modern from the ancient than 
we can separate the man from the boy. The elements of boyhood 
come to modification and maturity in manhood. In large measure 
they explain the man. So it is in regard to the vital relation that 
exists between these great eras of human history. 

Human conditions and processes had their beginning in an- 
tiquity. The ideas of the ancients were in many respects imper- 
fect and crude. So are those of the child. We see ourselves in 
that childhood of the race seeking the solution of human problems. 
That early life was conscious of all those emotions and interests 
common to humanity. Their social and religious instincts were 
given expression according to their enlightenment. They did not 
create those instincts, they discovered them, and by them strug- 
gled to find their larger self. They sought for social unity without 
fully understanding the social unit. 

Thus it is, that historical fiction that properly understands and 
appreciates the events and conditions of antiquity aims to present 
in a vital way the life, thought and ideals of that time. It speaks 
the language and expresses the moods of that age. It introduces 
us to our racial childhood. It sets forth in a more vivid and real- 
istic form the struggles, defeats and triumphs of the past, and 
thus not only narrates but interprets our life of ages ago. 

Human history has been organized into somewhat arbitrary 
divisions upon a chronological basis. In historical treatises these 
divisions are not always the same. By some the ancient era is 
considered to terminate with the fall of the Roman Empire in the 
West, A. D. 476. Others extend the period to the time of Charle- 
magne. The medieval era, according to some, closed with the fall 



THE ANCIENT ERA 3 

of Constantinople in 1453, while others date the modern era from 
the discovery of America. 

From the fall of Rome in 476 to the time of Charlemagne in 
800 is a transitional period. In our division of these periods the 
ancient extends to the time of Charlemagne including the transi- 
tional period, while the medieval extends" to the time of the dis- 
covery of America in 1492. The modern, therefore, extends from 
1492 to the present time* 



CHAPTER I 

EGYPT 
I. PRIOR TO THE CHRISTIAN ERA 

As a nation the Egyptians have the greatest antiquity of any 
people known to us. How far back that antiquity extends is a 
point upon which scholars are not agreed. There is the same lack 
of agreement relative to Egyptian chronology. Manetho, an 
Egyptian priest, who belonged to the third century B. C, compiled 
thirty of the Egyptian dynasties from the time of Menes to the 
conquest of Egypt by Cambyses II. The Old Empire comprised 
the first ten of these dynasties ; the Middle Empire, as it is desig- 
nated, the next seven ; the New Empire, the next three. During 
the remaining dynasties Egypt was, in the main, under the domi- 
nation of other powers. 

The contributions of this ancient state to the world's civiliza- 
tion have been very great. Access to extensive quarries enabled 
her to rear those mighty structures, the pyramids, on the west bank 
of the Nile, upon which the ages have looked down. The Cheops 
Pyramid, consisting of 2,300,000 massive blocks of stone, is an 
expression of that greatness. In some respects, in the building 
art the ancient Egyptians have never been surpassed. Rawlinson's 
statement is noteworthy: "It is doubtful if the steam-sawing of 
the present day could be trusted to produce in ten years from the 
quarries of Aberdeen a single obelisk such as those which the 
Pharaohs set up by dozens." 

We are indebted to the Egyptians for the division of the year 
into 365 days. This calendar Julius Caesar introduced into the 
Roman Empire, and with the slight change made in the sixteenth 
century, has been adopted by nearly all the world to the present 
time. To Egypt the Greeks and Romans were greatly indebted 
for the germs of much of their culture. Greek philosophers sat 
at the feet of Egyptian priests and thus did Egypt contribute to 
that brilliant civilization of the Greeks. "We are," says Sayce, 
"the heirs of the civilized past, and a goodly portion of that civil- 

4 



THE ANCIENT ERA 5 

ized past was the creation of ancient Egypt." She lit the torch 
of civilization and passed it on to the West. 

Again, it was in Egypt that the early Israelites found a home, 
and under the most favorable conditions developed into a strong 
people prepared to begin their national existence in their own 
land that should affect the destinies of the human race. It was 
in Egypt that the child Christ found a refuge from the murderous 
Herod, and like his nation came forth from her to his own land 
to accomplish the most significant work of any member of Adam's 
race. 

It would be strange if a nation having such a history should 
not be a rich field for the writers of fiction. Indeed, it is a most 
inviting field for the historical novelist, which will appear in the 
works to which we are about to give attention. 

The purpose of the following historical outline, and of all such 
outlines in this volume, is to set forth the historical movement, and 
thus relate the periods for the specific relation of the historical 
fiction to the periods in which they have their setting. Thus these 
outlines furnish the approach to those periods and events with 
which we are particularly concerned. 

Historical Outline: 

I. The Old Empire. Dynasties i-io. 

1. Menes, Founder of the First Dynasty, and the first three 

dynasties (about 4500-3700 B. C). 

2. The Fourth Dynasty (about 3700-3500). The kings of 

this dynasty reigned at Memphis. They are called the 
Pyramid Kings — builders of the pyramids. 

II. The Middle Empire. Dynasties 11-17. 

Following the Sixth Dynasty is a period of obscurity. 
Memphis recedes from view and Thebes comes forth, 
the seat of royalty. 

1. The Twelfth Dynasty (about 2500-2300), or, according to 

some scholars, 2000-1800. This dynasty was one of 
the most brilliant periods in Egyptian history, and was 
spoken of as the Golden Age. 

2. The Hyksos, or Shepherd, Kings (about 2000-1575). 

Apepi I. Science and letters seem to have flourished 
during his reign. 



6 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Apepi II. Flourished about 1650 B. C. 

Little is known of either of these kings, and only a few 
scanty memorials of them have been found. The 
date of their conquest of Egypt is doubtful. War 
chariots now appear for the first time upon the mon- 
uments. 

III. The New Empire. 

1. The Eighteenth Dynasty (about 1575-1358). 

a. Expulsion of the Hyksos Line by the Theban prince 

Amasis, who became the first sovereign of the 
Eighteenth Dynasty. 

b. Thothmes III (about 1 500-1450). One of the great- 

est conquerors and builders among the Pharaohs. 

2. The Nineteenth Dynasty (about 1359- 1253). 

a. Rameses I. 

b. Seti I (about 1356- 1347). 

c. Rameses II (about 1347-1280). 

d. Manephtha (about 1275). 

3. The Twentieth Dynasty. 

a. Founded by Setnokpt. 

b. Rameses III (about 1210). 

C. The nine, following Rameses III, reigned peacefully 
to about 1 100. 

IV. Egypt Under Foreign Domination. 

1. Ethiopians form Dynasty Twenty-five. 

2. The Twenty-sixth Dynasty. 

a. Psammeticus I, 663-610. He drove out the foreign- 

ers and became the founder of this dynasty. 

b. Necho II, 610-594. 

c. Psammeticus II. 

d. Apries, 588-569. 

e. Amasis II, 569-526. 

f. Psammeticus III. Reigned one year. 

3. Egypt under Babylonian and Persian control. Taken by 

Cambyses, 525, and became a Persian province. 

4. Conquered by Alexander the Great, 332. 

5. The Graeco-Egyptian Empire of the Ptolemies. 



THE ANCIENT ERA 7 

a. Ptolemy I, 323-283. 

b. Ptolemy II, 283-247. 

c. Ptolemy III, 247-222. 

d. Ptolemy XIII, 80-52. 

e. Cleopatra, 52-30. Daughter of Ptolemy XIII. End 

of the period of the Ptolemies. 
6. The Battle of Actium, B. C. 30, and Egypt annexed to the 
Roman Empire. 

Period of the. Hyksos Kings 

Comparatively little is known of these foreigners. The word 
Hyksos signifies Shepherd Kings. Many scholars incline to the 
view that they were wandering tribes of Arabia and Syria. Just 
when they usurped the throne of Egypt is a matter of consider- 
able speculation. Various dates are given for their conquest of 
Egypt, and there is the same difference of opinion as to the length 
of time they held the throne. According to some authorities they 
ruled from B. C. 2200 to 1700; according to other accounts from 
2000 to 1500 or 1575 ; still others limit the time to about 100 years. 
One thing seems certain — that their expulsion was followed by 
the Eighteenth Dynasty. 

There is also lack of agreement among scholars as to the pe- 
riod of the sojourn of the Israelites in Egypt. Those who incline 
to the period of the Hyksos rule lay stress upon the fact that it 
would be more probable that Joseph was made prime minister 
by a foreign, than by an Egyptian, king; also, that when Jacob 
came to Egypt Joseph instructed him that if Pharaoh should in- 
quire about his occupation he should tell him they were shepherds. 
It is the opinion of others that Rameses II was the oppressor of 
the Israelites. We shall have occasion to note this view when 
we come to that reign. 

Apepi, or Apophis, is the name of two kings of the Hyksos line. 
Little is known of either. Apepi II seems to have flourished about 
B. C. 1650. Several monuments bear his name. In the British 
Museum is a papyrus which contains a legendary account of the 
strife that arose about religious matters between this king and 
Sekeneur, Prince of Thebes. From this it would seem that dur- 
ing this reign the war for Egyptian independence began. 

The author of the story given below evidently supported the 



8 HISTORICAL FICTION 

view that the sojourn of the Israelites in Egypt was during the 
period of the Hyksos Dynasty, as seen from the introduction of 
Joseph into the story. Animal worship holds a significant place 
in the author's work. The Egyptians regarded certain animals as 
emblems of the gods and hence made them the objects of wor- 
ship. Some were even regarded as real gods. The scarab, or 
beetle, for example, being an emblem of life, was held in greatest 
reverence. To kill a sacred animal, even by accident, placed the 
life of the person committing the deed in great danger. 

The Egyptians believed that the spirit of Osiris became em- 
bodied in some bull. When Apis, as the sacred bull was called, 
died, it was an occasion of great mourning. He was embalmed 
and buried with great ceremony, and then was instituted a search 
throughout the land for the calf born at the moment that Apis 
died, having certain bodily markings, for into this calf the soul 
of Osiris entered when it departed from Apis at his death. 

The Story 
The Stonecutter of Memphis. 1904. William P. Kelly 

This story has its setting in the reign of Apepi II, the last 
Pharaoh of the Hyksos Kings. He is personally introduced. The 
author seeks to give a clear representation of this period in Egypt. 
Animal worship plays a significant part in that the heroine, 
charged with killing a sacred cat, must suffer the penalty of being 
sold into slavery. From this sentence she is rescued by the media- 
tion of the prime minister Joseph. 

Reign of Thothmes III 

For this period in Egyptian history the reader is referred to 
the historical outline. The Hyksos Kings were expelled by 
Amasis, the founder of the Eighteenth Dynasty. Thothmes was 
one of the greatest kings of this dynasty. He was called the 
Alexander of Egyptian history. During his reign and by his con- 
quests the empire reached its greatest expansion. He conquered 
the region between the Euphrates and the Mediterranean, which 
conquests were recorded on the walls of the temple of Karnak. 
A great part of this temple at Thebes was constructed by him. 
What remains of it constitutes the most majestic ruin in the 



THE ANCIENT ERA 9 

world. His building operations in the Nile valley were numerous. 
One of his great obelisks may be seen in Central Park, New York, 
another in Constantinople and another beside the Thames in 
London. 

The Story 

The Cat of Bubastes. 1888. George A. Henty 

The author (1832-1902) was born at Trumpington, England. 
He was educated at the Westminster School and Caius College, 
Cambridge. During the earlier part of the Crimean War he 
served in the British army. As war correspondent of the London 
Standard he accompanied the contestants of the Austro-Italian, 
Turco-Servian and Franco-German Wars. In 1868 he joined the 
Abyssinian Expedition, and in 1873 the Ashanti Expedition. He 
took part in Garibaldi's Tyrolean campaigns, and was with the 
Prince of Wales in his travels through India. In the main, his 
books are historical novels, adapted to boys, and was a most pro- 
lific and popular writer. 

The Cat of Bubastes is a tale of Egypt in the time of Thothmes 
III. It sets forth the expedition of the king in his conquest of a 
people called the Rebu. In connection with the preceding story 
we noticed that that author placed the sojourn of the Israelites in 
Egypt in the time of the Hyksos Kings. Henty, in this story, has 
them in Egypt during the Eighteenth Dynasty, and has Moses 
appear in the reign of Thothmes III, in which case, the Exodus 
occurred about forty years later. 

Thebes 

Menes was the founder of the First Dynasty, and tradition 
declares that he built the city of Memphis. The kings of the 
Fourth Dynasty, called the Pyramid Kings, reigned at Memphis. 
During the period of obscurity following the Sixth Dynasty Mem- 
phis is lost to view and Thebes becomes the seat of power. The 
Theban temples, raised by the later Pharaohs, are a standing testi- 
mony to the greatness of this period. As Lenormant says, 
"Thebes, in spite of all the ravages of time and of the barbarian, 
still presents the grandest, the most prodigious assemblage of 
buildings ever erected by the hand of man." 



io HISTORICAL FICTION 

The Story 
The Witch Queen of Khem. 1909. Eno Fitzgerald 

In this romance the author has laid the scene in Thebes in the 
period of its distinction as the seat of royalty. 

Period of Rameses II 

By referring to the historical outline the reader will note that 
Rameses was the third king of the Nineteenth Dynasty. His 
predecessor, Seti I, was a great warrior and builder. One of his 
most important wars was with the Hittites, whose capital was 
Carchemish on the Euphrates. They were a powerful people and 
a menace to Egyptian interests in Syria. Seti gained a great 
victory over them. Rameses conducted campaigns against this 
same people, but did not seem to be so fortunate. Instead of 
subduing them he concluded a peace with them which placed the 
Hittites on an equality with the Egyptians. Rameses then mar- 
ried the daughter of the king of the Hittites. His reign, extend- 
ing over a period of sixty-seven years, is given by ancient writers 
the most exalted place in Egyptian history. 

The Hittites are first mentioned in connection with Abraham 
who purchased from them the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron. 
Their empire at one time extended over a large part of Asia 
Minor and Syria. It is the opinion of some scholars that it was 
Rameses II who oppressed the Israelites, and that it was during 
the reign of his son Manephtha that the Exodus occurred. It is 
pointed out that an inscription found in 1896 shows that in the 
fifth year of Manephtha Israel was already settled in Palestine, 
and that an earlier date must be sought for the Exodus. On the 
other hand, it is clear from the Amarna Letters, written about 
B. C. 1400, that at that time Israel had not entered the Promised 
Land. Thus it would seem that the date of the Exodus must be 
placed in the interval between these two limits, or, in round num- 
bers, about 1400 and 1250. 

The Stories 

Uarda. 1877. Georg M. Ebers 

The author (1837-1898) was born at Berlin, Germany. He 
was a student of Egyptian life and devoted himself to the study 
of Egyptology. After spending an extended time in the East, 



THE ANCIENT ERA II 

in 1870 he was made professor of Egyptology at Leipsic. He is 
the author of a number of learned works, the most important of 
which are Egypt and the Books of Moses, and Through Goshen 
to Sinai. The most famous of his historical novels is Uarda. 

As the author tells us, it was while studying the monuments 
of Thebes, that solemn city of the dead, and while riding in the 
silent desert, that the germ of this story was born. He knows 
his Egypt well and describes the habits, customs and ruling ideas 
of the time. Uarda, a beautiful Greek girl of royal blood, with 
her mother Xanthe, had been carried away a captive to Thebes, 
While Rameses is away at war a plot to seize the throne is con- 
cocted, and in the battle of Kadesh he is betrayed with a view 
to his defeat and destruction. 

Rameses, in his conflict with the Greek king and his Asiatic 
allies, is wholly victorious at Kadesh, and as the former is brought 
into the presence of Uarda he cries out "Xanthe, Xanthe! Is 
your spirit free from Hades? Are you come to summon me?" 
He sees in her the picture of his lost daughter of years ago, and 
Uarda, after these years of separation from her people, proves to 
be his grand-daughter. This fact is absolutely established by the 
means of a jewel, one-half of which was in the keeping of Uarda, 
and the other half, which completed it, and which had belonged 
to Xanthe, was then being worn by the other daughter of the 
Greek king, who is also present. 

The son of Rameses and Uarda are lovers and are fully 
pledged to each other by the two kings. He marries her in her 
own land, the land of the Danaids, and after the death of her 
grandfather he ruled over many islands of the Mediterranean 
and became the founder of a great race, whjle "Uarda's name 
was held in tender remembrance by their subjects." 

In connection with this same general period may be noted the 
two following works : 

The King's Treasure House. 1886. Wilhelm Walloth 

This is a romance of ancient Egypt prior to the Exodus. 

The World's Desire. 1891. Henry Rider Haggard and 
Andrew Lang 

This story introduces the Exodus of the Israelites. 



12 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Period of Rameses XIII 

Rameses XIII was followed by nine kings of little importance 
(Rameses IV-XII), all bearing the same name. During this 
period Egypt shows a steady decline. These nine kings were mere 
tools in the hands of the priesthood of Ammon. It was about 
B. C. noo when Her Hor (Smendes), the high priest of Ammon 
of Thebes, dethroned Rameses XII and himself took the crown. 
He was the founder of the Twenty-first Dynasty. His building 
operations at Karnak were considerable, and it is believed that it 
was he who stored away the royal mummies which were discov- 
ered by Brugsch Bey in 1881. 

The Story 

The Pharaoh and the Priest. 1897. Aleksander 
Glovatski 

This famous Polish writer (1847-) * s distinguished for his 
life-like portraits of children, and the manner in which he depicts 
peasant life and animal peculiarities. His humor conceals a deep 
sympathy for the unfortunate to which is added a masterful power 
of character analysis. 

This story deals with what has already been indicated by the 
preceding statement. It sets forth the conflict between the throne 
and the hierarchy, the king and the priest, the secular and the 
ecclesiastical. The priest finally dominates the situation and be- 
comes the Pharaoh. 

Period of Ptolemy II 

Our next romance brings us a long step forward in Egyptian 
history as the reader will observe by noting again the historical 
outline. We pass over a period of eight centuries. During this 
time Egypt fell under foreign domination. The Twenty-fifth 
Dynasty was that of the Ethiopian rule. Psammeticus I drove 
out the foreigner and became the founder of the Twenty-sixth 
Dynasty which extended to B. C. 525. This was followed by the 
Babylonian and Persian control. Egypt was conquered by Cam- 
byses in 525 and became a Persian province. In B. C. 331 Alex- 
ander the Great conquered Persia in the battle of Arbela, having 
already in the year preceding conquered Egypt. 



THE ANCIENT ERA 13 

Following the death of Alexander in 323 his empire was di- 
vided between his four generals. Ptolemy I secured the govern- 
ment of Egypt. He made Alexandria a center of Greek culture 
and founded the famous Alexandrian library. As a patron of 
learning and literature he induced philosophers, artists and poets 
to settle in the city. He erected the Pharos, or lighthouse, to 
guide the fleets of the nations to his capital. 

Polemy II pursued the policies of his father in the mainte- 
nance and extension of intellectual interests. It was by his order 
that the Hebrew Bible, known as the Septuagint, was translated 
into Greek, one of the most important versions of the Old Testa- 
ment. Arsinoe became the wife of her brother, Ptolemy II, the 
beginning of the series of sister-marriages which were in accord- 
ance with the Egyptian custom and equally opposed to the Greek 
tradition. She held a large place in her husband's affections, who 
named after her the capital of the Fayum. He employed the 
abilities of the architect Dinochares to erect to her a splendid 
tomb and memorial temple. In matters of government she seems 
to have been of considerable assistance to Ptolemy. 

As indicated by the historical outline, the last sovereign of 
this line was the beautiful Cleopatra. 

The Story 
Arachne. 1898. Georg M. Ebers 

The scene of this historical novel is laid in Alexandria in the 
reign of Ptolemy II. Arachne is a statue, and from the disquisi- 
tions on realism in art one could imagine the time to be the present 
century. Greek art, the sculptors and their models, are set forth. 
In rather striking contrast to the aesthetic is the moral degenera- 
tion of society of the Court under the control of Queen Arsinoe 
and her associates. 

II. The Christian Era 

The Graeco-Egyptian Empire of the Ptolemies came to an 
end B. C. 30, and Egypt was annexed to the Roman Empire. 
When, in the time of Theodosius, the Roman Empire was divided 
into the Western and Eastern Empires, Egypt became a province 
of the Eastern. What might be noted as historical periods would 
really be Roman periods, as Egypt was now a part of the Roman 
State. 



14 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The Second Century 

It was during the peaceful reign of Augustus (B. C. 31-A. D. 
14) that Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea. His crucifixion 
occurred during the reign of Tiberius. Following that reign 
Christianity, by the labors of the Apostles, spread throughout the 
Roman Empire. Under Nero (A. D. 54-68) began the persecu- 
tion of the Christians. The second century opened with the reign 
of Trajan (98-117), who extended the boundaries of the empire. 
To Trajan, the Younger Pliny writes regarding the Christians, 
and speaks of their creed as a "contagious superstition that had 
seized not only cities but the lesser towns also, and the open 
country." Because of their refusal to sacrifice to the gods Trajan 
had many of them put to death. The period of the Antonines 
extended from 138 to 180, and ended with the reign of Marcus 
Aurelius, the Stoic — a man of such lofty thoughts, and of such 
sympathies, that his writings approach nearer to the spirit of 
Christianity than any writings of the pagan world. It is probably 
true that, embracing in a single view all the countries included 
in the Roman Empire, the second century of the Christian Era 
marks the happiest period in their history. 

Under Roman rule Alexandria was the second city of the 
Empire, and remained the chief center of trade after Constanti- 
nople became the capital of the East. It was the chief seat of 
Greek learning and science. It was here that Christianity came 
into conflict with pagan systems in which old established theories 
were opposed by the new doctrines then spreading over the world. 

The Stories 
Narcissus. 1879. William Boyd Carpenter 

The author (1841-), an English clergyman of the Estab- 
lished Church and Bishop of Ripon, was born at Liverpool. He 
was educated at St. Catherine's College, Cambridge. He has 
enjoyed considerable distinction in being appointed Hulsean lec- 
turer at Cambridge and Bampton lecturer at Oxford. From 1882 
to 1884 he was canon of Windsor. He visited the United States 
and delivered the Noble lectures at Harvard. He also had the 
distinction of being chaplain in ordinary to Queen Victoria, Ed- 
ward VII and George V. He is well known through his religious 
writings, but is better known to the general public by his novels. 



THE ANCIENT ERA 15 

This tale deals with this period of the Roman Empire. It is 
a portrayal of Christian conditions as they existed in Alexandria, 
Rome and Athens. As already noted, it was a period when Ro- 
man Paganism was attempting by bitter persecution to extirpate 
the new religion. 

Thais. 1890. Anatole France 

"Anatole France'' is the assumed name of Jacques Anatole 
Thibault. He is a noted French critic, generally recognized as the 
most distinguished novelist, "the most graceful humorist, the 
most mordant ironist, and the purest stylist of contemporary 
France." 

This tale, Thais, of ancient Egypt and Alexandria, deals in an 
ironical way with the prevailing and antithetical conditions of 
the period. Strongly contrasted are the epicure and the recluse. 
Religion, philosophy and asceticism are viewed from a sceptical 
angle. The leading character is a degenerate who became a re- 
cluse. In his hermit life, influenced by his own moral reformation, 
he resolves upon the conversion of the courtesan, Thais, in whom 
he was interested in the days of his carnal life. He succeeds in 
his purpose ; Thais is converted, but he loses his own salvation by 
his thoughts constantly dwelling upon the physical attractions of 
the one turned from worldly to spiritual interests. 

The Third Century 
Following the reign of Commodus (180-192), for nearly a 
century the emperors, called "The Barrack Emperors," were 
elected by the army. The general character of this period is dis- 
tinguished by the fact that twenty-one of the twenty-five emper- 
ors came to their death by violence. Internal disorders prevailed 
while the barbarian hordes invaded the empire to rob and destroy. 
In A. D. 193 the empire was put up for sale by the soldiers. The 
highest bidder was Didius Julianus, a wealthy senator, with whom 
the deal was closed for the sum of about $12,000,000. From this 
time to the reign of Diocletian, Septimius Severus, Caracalla, and 
the Thirty Tyrants held the throne. During the closing years of 
the century Rome was under the rule of Diocletian (284-305). 
One of the most bitter persecutions of the Christians was inaugu- 
rated by him which continued for a long period after his reign. 
The story noted below has to do with these days of the Empire in 
Egyptian life. 



16 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Epicureanism 

Two systems of Grecian philosophy, Stoicism and Epicurean- 
ism, were developed contemporaneously. Zeno, the founder of 
the former, was born about B. C. 340, and Epicurus, the founder 
of the latter, about B. C. 342. The Stoics declared that life should 
be in conformity with nature, that the individual should be wholly 
subordinated to the universal, thus excluding every personal end. 
Hence pleasure, which of all ends is the most individual, must 
be sacrificed. Pleasure, according to Cleanthes, is no end of na- 
ture and is not in conformity with nature. The blessedness of the 
moral energy of the soul is hindered and abated by pleasure, 
hence the latter is an evil. 

In opposition to Zeno, Epicurus taught that pleasure is the 
chief good. While Zeno taught that virtue should be sought for 
its own sake, and because the obligation to be virtuous lay in 
the character and claims of virtue itself, the Epicureans taught 
that the end to be sought was pleasure, and that virtue was a 
means to that end, and not an end in itself. Epicureanism had 
a large following in Greece. It will readily be seen how that 
during the period of moral corruption of the Roman Empire these 
doctrines would be espoused by many. Full indulgence was af- 
forded every appetite and craving for pleasure. 

The principles of Christianity came into uncompromising con- 
flict with this theory of life. The two systems were utterly in- 
compatible. The former emphasized the relation of the indi- 
vidual to the whole and to the Divine Government, enunciating 
the moral order to be obeyed and followed. It held forth the 
seriousness of life, both with reference to the present life and its 
relation to the future state of the soul. The Epicurean was not 
concerned with a future life, and devoted himself entirely to 
the present and the largest amount of personal pleasure. "Let 
us eat and drink for tomorrow we die" was his ruling idea. To- 
day's existence, and not tomorrow's cessation of existence, was 
his concern. 

The Story 

The Epicurean. 1827. Thomas Moore 

The author (1779- 1852) was born in Dublin, Ireland. He 
was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and in 1799 went to the 
Middle Temple in London to study law. His preference for liter- 



THE ANCIENT ERA 17 

ature almost immediately diverted his course. His Anacreon 
and Poetical Works of the Late Thomas Little, brought him rec- 
ognition. His genius was peculiarly expressed in his Irish Melo- 
dies, and on these his reputation mainly rests. Lalla Rookh, an 
Eastern romance, brought him $15,000. For the Life of Lord 
Byron he received $25,000. 

This prose romance, The Epicurean, comprises philosophy, 
religion, archaeology. It portrays Egyptian life in the early days 
of Christianity when the latter came into conflict with Greek 
pagan thought, particularly Epicureanism. It describes the ad- 
ventures of an Epicurean philosopher. From Epicureanism he is 
converted to Christianity, and he falls under the persecution of 
the Memphian priesthood. 

The Fourth Century 

Our next story brings us to the closing period of the fourth 
century, to the time of Theodosius (379-395). In 379 he was 
selected by Gratian as his partner in the Empire. He defeated 
the Goths in 382. In 312 was fought the battle of the Milvian 
Bridge and Constantine made Christianity the religion of the 
court, and placed it on an equal footing with the other religions of 
the Empire. But the measures of Theodosius against heathenism 
were such that it was a crime to enter a pagan temple, and in 392 
the private worship of the Lares and Penates was prohibited. 

SERAPIS 

The worship of Serapis, an Egyptian deity, was introduced 
into Egypt during the time of Ptolemy I. It is related by Plut- 
arch that Ptolemy was given in a dream the image of a god. He 
was ordered to remove it from where it was and consequently 
brought the colossal statue which he set up in Alexandria. This 
was declared to represent the god Serapis. A beautiful temple 
was constructed at Alexandria, called the Serapeum, for the statue 
of Serapis. "The Egyptians themselves never acknowledged him 
in their pantheon ; but he was the principal deity in the Greek and 
Roman towns of Egypt. Forty-two temples are said to have 
been erected to him in Egypt under the Ptolemies and Romans ; 
his worship extended also to Asia Minor and was introduced into 
Rome by Antoninus -Pius." The setting up of this statue in its 
temple was the last hold of the pagans in Alexandria after the 



18 HISTORICAL FICTION 

introduction of Christianity. By the order of Theodosius in 389 
the image and its temple were destroyed. 

The Story 
Serapis. 1885. Georg M. Ebers 

The historical setting of this story is Alexandria in the time 
of Theodosius. While Christianity had come to the ascendency 
in the Roman Empire, there was still a conflict between Pagans 
and Christians which is brought out in this story. The destruc- 
tion of the image and temple of Serapis is of leading interest. 
The heroine is a girl of the pagan faith which it is difficult for her 
to renounce, and while she is surrendering to Christianity, the 
grandeur of the pagan worship still appeals to her. 

The Fifth Century 

The Roman Empire, comprising the Eastern and Western, 
was united practically for the last time under Theodosius. Be- 
fore his death in 395 he assigned the government of the East to 
his son Arcadius, and that of the West to his son Honorius. It 
was not designed that these appointments should affect the unity 
of the empire. 

The new century opened with these sons as the sovereigns of 
the Roman Empire, and the first invasion by Alaric (A. D. 402- 
403). From this Italy was delivered, but in 405-406 occurred 
the invasion of German tribes from beyond the Rhine, who filled 
the plains of Italy. Three years later Honorius provoked a revolt 
among thousands of Gothic mercenaries whose kinsmen beyond 
the Alps, led by Alaric, joined them, besieged Rome and com- 
pelled the city to pay an enormous ransom. To the pagans the 
sack of Rome was a judgment from the gods for the abandon- 
ment of their worship ; the Christians saw in it the fulfillment of 
prophecy as uttered in the Book of Revelation. 

While these events were transpiring in Rome, in Alexandria 
Christianity and Neo-Platonism were in conflict, and Hypatia, 
the expounder of the latter, was delivering her lectures. 

Neo-Platonism 

The last movement in Greek philosophical thought was Neo- 
Platonism, the center of which was Alexandria. "Its representa- 



THE ANCIENT ERA 19 

tives were at one and the same time Greek thinkers and Hebrew 
seers. While the Neo-Platonists were laboring to restore, in mod- 
ified form, the ancient Greek philosophy and worship, the teachers 
of Christianity were fast winning the world over to a new faith. 
The two systems came into deadly conflict. Christianity tri- 
umphed. With the triumph of the Christian Fathers the work 
of the Greek philosophers, as living personal teachers, was ended ; 
but their system of thought will never cease to attract and influ- 
ence the best minds of the race." 

Plotinus (A. D. 205-270) of Lycopolis in Egypt was the most 
important representative of Neo-Platonism. In the fourth cen- 
tury his system passed over to Athens and became established 
in the Academy. It represents the last struggle, the exhaustion 
and dissolution of the old philosophy. It was the last attempt to 
resolve the dualism between the subjective and the objective. 

Neo-Platonism was an attempt to attain to absolute truth, to 
comprehend the absolute. It did not seek to do this by acquiring 
knowledge, or by intellectual or dialectic processes, but by ecstasy, 
by an immediate beholding by a mystical illumination or exalta- 
tion of spirit. To do this, or be this, would require the resolving 
the self into the absolute, a mystical absorption into the Deity, 
and consequently a mystical self-destruction of the individual. 
Thus in its attempt by means of ecstasy to attain its highest prin- 
ciple from which all else was derived, and as Schwegler says, 
"not by means of self-conscious thinking, nor by any natural or 
rational way, it is evident that ancient philosophy, instead of be- 
coming perfected in Neo-Platonism, only overleaps itself to its 
own self-destruction." 

Hypatia 

Hypatia (355-415) was the daughter of Theon, a celebrated 
mathematician and astronomer of Alexandria. She had been 
carefully taught by her father and became a famous Greek philos- 
opher of the Eclectic School. She lectured on philosophy at 
Alexandria and was the teacher of many students from the East. 
In this city she was the chief expounder of Neo-Platonism. She 
was not only a woman of great learning, but was equally distin- 
guished for her beauty and purity of character. She was not 
allowed to enjoy her distinction and popularity unmolested. Cyril, 
bishop of Alexandria, was jealous of her standing and influence. 



20 HISTORICAL FICTION 

She was accused by the clergy of exerting undue influence over 
Orestes, prefect of Alexandria, against Cyril. They created a 
tumult, and a mob led by monks attacked her, dragged her through 
the streets into a church, stripped off her clothing and killed her. 



The Story 
Hypatia. 1853. Charles Kingsley 

The author (i 819- 1875), an English clergyman, graduated 
from Cambridge with high honors. He became famous both as 
a preacher and writer. He devoted his energies to the welfare of 
the working classes and wrote two novels dealing with social and 
economic problems. In 1859 he became professor of modern his- 
tory at Cambridge, and in 1869 was made Canon of Chester. 

Hypatia, or, New Foes With an Old Face, Kingsley's brilliant 
novel, has its setting in the circumstances given above — the con- 
flict between ruling ideas in Alexandria. Hypatia, the expounder 
of Neo-Platonism, holds the center of the stage, while crowded 
into the scene are Greeks, Romans and other races. The number 
of incidents and interests introduced, in such striking and dra- 
matic manner, creates remarkable variety. The life, work and 
death of Hypatia are vividly portrayed. A young Christian monk, 
Philammon, is the leading male character. In the monastery on 
the upper Nile he is consumed with a desire to save others from 
sin and its consequences. He comes to Alexandria and becomes 
bewildered by the classic culture by which he is surrounded. The 
influence of Hypatia upon him is very great, and his faith becomes 
unsettled by the sureties of the philosophy with which Christianity 
is in conflict. The problems created by these new studies and cir- 
cumstances are illustrated by the following extract : 

"But his faith in Christianity? What had become of that? 
What usually happens in such cases. It was not dead ; but never- 
theless it had fallen fast asleep for the time being. He did not 
disbelieve it; he would have been shocked to hear such a thing 
asserted of him; but he happened to be busy believing something 
else — geometry conic sections, cosmogonies, psychologies and 
what not. And so it befell that he had not just then time to believe 
in Christianity. He recollected at times its existence; but even 
then he neither affirmed nor denied it. When he had solved the 



THE ANCIENT ERA 21 

great questions — those which Hypatia had set forth as the roots of 
all knowledge — how the world was made, and what was the origin 
of evil, and what his own personality was, and — that being settled 
— whether he had one, with a few other preliminary matters, then 
it would be time to return, and with his enlarged light, to the study 
of Christianity ; and if, of course, Christianity should be found 
to be at variance with that enlarged light, as Hypatia seemed to 
think . . . why, then — what then? . . . He would not think 
about such disagreeable possibilities. Sufficient for the day was 
the evil thereof. Possibilities? It was impossible . . . Philos- 
ophy could not mislead. Had not Hypatia denned it as man's 
search after the unseen? And if he found the unseen by it, did 
it not come to just the same thing as if the unseen had revealed 
itself to him? And he must find it, for logic and mathematics 
could not err. If every step was correct, the conclusion must be 
correct also ; so he must end, after all, in the right path — that 
is, of course, supposing Christianity to be the right path — and 
return to fight the Church's battles, with the sword which he 
had wrested from Goliath the Philistine. . . . But he had not 
won the sword yet : and in the meanwhile, learning was weary 
work; and sufficient for the day was the good, as well as the 
evil thereof," 



CHAPTER II 
ASSYRIA 

The nations of the Euphrates region form a group of kindred 
people who had a common civilization. Assyria brought forth 
the first great civilization of this region, and for centuries was 
destined to exert a great influence in her relations with Babylon, 
Egypt, Syria, Phoenicia and Palestine. The deeds of her kings 
are preserved on bricks, cylinders and obelisks describing such 
achievements as the conquest of forty-two countries by one king, 
the conquest of Syria, Phoenicia and Palestine, the new political 
system that was created, the conquests in Central Arabia, and other 
great deeds. 

The distinction of Assyria lay in her conquests rather than in 
culture. Devoted from the beginning to war and pillage their 
monuments exhibit the cruelty and brutality to which they sub- 
jected their enemies. The excavations at Nineveh exhibit some- 
thing of their building operations. They surpassed the Baby- 
lonians in architecture and sculpture, but were inferior to them 
in the other arts and sciences. 

It is believed that Assyrian culture came from Babylon, but 
the creative power that belonged to the latter was wanting in the 
Assyrians. They lacked in the sense of beauty, and their art was 
a pictorial representation of events. Their religion was the same 
as the Babylonian, Asshur being the tutelary deity, Astarte cor- 
responding to Ishtar of the Babylonians, and Bel having equal 
significance with both nations. 

It was about B. C. 1800 that their rulers, who had their cap- 
ital at Asshur, began to make their presence felt in this region, 
and it was probably a century prior to this time that the first set- 
tlers came from Babylonia. Thus the empire existed for a period 
of about thirteen centuries. The fall of Assyria occurred in B. C. 
606 when Nineveh was taken and destroyed by the Medes and 
Persians. It will be seen that the fall of Assyria antedated that 
of Egypt by nearly three centuries, and about 116 years after she 
put an end to Israel in B. C. 722, and carried the ten tribes into 

22 



THE ANCIENT ERA 23 

captivity. The kingdom of Judah survived her for the brief period 
of twenty years. 

The fall of Assyria left two other great nations of this group 
to continue the struggle, to subdue empires, bring forth their civil- 
ization, raise Orientalism to its greatest height and establish one 
dominant fact in the historic development of the race. 

Historical Outline 

Tiglath-Pileser I, B. C. 1120-1100. 

Control over Babylonia. Devotion to the Arts. 
Assurnazipal III, 883-858. 

Conquests and extension of the Empire. 
Tiglath-Pileser III, 745"7 2 7- 

Political organization. 
Sargon II, 722-705. 

Founder of the greatest dynasty of Assyria. 

Carried Israel into captivity, 722. 
Sennacherib, 705-681. 

Expedition against Hezekiah, King of Judah. 
Esarhaddon, 680-668. 
Asshur-bani-pal, 668-626. 

Patron of art and literature. The Golden Age of Assyria. 
Fall of Assyria, 606, by the Medes and Babylonians. 

Semiramis 

The ancient Greek legends ascribe the building of Nineveh and 
the founding of Assyria to the mythical Ninus and his queen 
Semiramis. In these matters the cuneiform inscriptions are re- 
garded more authoritative. These do not record the name of 
Ninus, while that of Semiramis does not appear until the ninth 
century B. C. Having no place in the cuneiform records, this 
mythical Assyrian queen owes her fame, if not her actual exist- 
ence, to Greek legends. At the siege of Bactra, through her beauty 
and bravery, she won the love of Ninus, king of Nineveh, and be- 
came his wife. She was, however, the wife of Onnes, the gov- 
ernor of Nineveh. He refused to surrender her to Ninus upon 
the demand of the latter, and despairing of retaining her, took his 
own life. When Ninus died she became the sole sovereign of 
Assyria. She built Babylon and the temple of Bel and conquered 
the surrounding countries. She reigned forty-two years and re- 



24 HISTORICAL FICTION 

signed the throne to her son Ninyas. Some accounts say she was 
murdered by him, others, that she flew up to heaven in the form 
of a dove. Some of her deeds are identical with those of the 
goddess Ishtar as set forth in the Nimrod epic. 



The Stories 

Sarchedon. 1871. George John White Melville 

The author (1821-1878) was born near St. Andrews, Scot- 
land. In 1839 ne entered the army and seven years later became 
captain of the Coldstream Guards. During the Crimean War he 
served in the Turkish cavalry. He has been called the founder 
of the fashionable novel of the high-life sporting variety. 

Sarchedon is a tale of Semiramis, dealing with Assyria and 
Egypt of that time. The hero is characterized by his qualities as 
a soldier, and Ishtar, who dominates his affections, is distinguished 
for her purity and beauty. Baalism occupies a distinctive place. 
What is of peculiar interest is the fact that the author does not 
hesitate to bring into the story events that belong to Egyptian his- 
tory several centuries prior to this time. 

Semiramis. 1907. Edward Henry Peple 

The author (1869-) was born at Richmond, Va. He received 
his education in the high school and academy. In 1895 ne re ~ 
moved to New York, and until 1902 served as expert accountant. 
The works by which he is best known are A Broken Rosary, Mal- 
let's Masterpiece, The Prince Chap, The Littlest Rebel, A Pair of 
Sixes, Semiramis. 

This tale, Semiramis, is based on the legendary account that 
invests this queen with the interest that attaches to her as the 
wife of Ninus, who is declared by this legendary history to be the 
founder of Nineveh. For these facts the reader is referred to 
the historical statement above. 

Reign of Tiglath-Pileser III 

As given in the historical sketch, this king ruled Assyria from 
B. C. 745 to 727. He was a man of great resourcefulness and 
restored the empire to the high position it attained prior to the 



THE ANCIENT ERA 25 

disorder into which it had fallen. The peculiar distinction of 
this king lay in his political organization in which he displayed 
special talent. An element of weakness in the policy of Assyria 
under former kings was in placing the kings of conquered states 
over their own dominions as tributary to Assyria. This system 
played into the hands of the revolutionary spirit whenever it 
might assert itself. Tiglath-Pileser removed this danger by plac- 
ing Assyrian viceroys over the conquered states which he reduced 
to provinces. 

Contemporary with Tiglath-Pileser was Ahaz, king of Judah 
(B. C. 735-715). Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah, under whom 
occurred the second great revival in Judah. Ahaz, menaced by 
the king of Syria and the king of Israel, formed an alliance with 
Tiglath-Pileser to protect him against these kings. Such an alli- 
ance was a mistake, not only because it was divinely forbidden, 
but because it involved Judah in entanglements that placed her 
under obligations to the stronger state. The following story 
brings out the alliance between these two kings. 

The Story 
The Assyrian Bride. 1905. William Patrick Kelly 

The historical setting of this story is to be found in the time and 
circumstances given above. Nineveh and Jerusalem are brought 
together. A young Hebrew officer is sent to Tiglath-Pileser to 
solicit assistance for Ahaz, king of Judah. He falls in love with 
a young Assyrian woman, the heroine of the story. This is a vio- 
lation of the principles of Judaism which prohibited intermar- 
riage with heathen peoples. Bringing his bride to Jerusalem was 
bringing into conflict Judaism and pagan idolatry. The Temple, 
the center of the Jewish religious system and safeguarded by Di- 
vine appointments, is desecrated by the heroine, and as a retribu- 
tion she is smitten with leprosy which brings her to a miserable 
death. The husband escapes the punishment of losing an eye 
through his father, who imposed the sentence, bearing the penalty 
and suffering the loss of one of his eyes. Thus is set forth the con- 
sequence of these interrelations of Jew and Gentile. 



CHAPTER III 

PERSIA 

The Persians, descended from Aryan stock, inhabited the 
southern part of the plateau of Iran. The Medes settled in the 
mountain regions of the north-west. The latter at first were 
the leading people. Under Cyrus the Medes and Persians became 
one state just twenty years prior to the fall of Babylon by Cyrus, 
while from the beginning of this union to the fall of Persia by 
Alexander the Great was a period of 227 years. 

Babylon, the First Universal Empire, lasted for about one hun- 
dred years ; Persia, the Second Universal Empire, lasted a little 
more than twice as long. In the prophecy of Daniel, the Hebrew 
prophet, in his vision of the Historic Man comprising the Four 
Universal Empires, Babylon is represented as the head of gold, 
and Persia as the arms and breast of silver. 

In these great world movements Babylon and Persia constitu- 
ted Orientalism representing a materialistic civilization as con- 
trasted with the intellectualism of the Greeks and the social order 
of the Romans. 

The Universal Empires mark a new era in human history and 
development. It began with the lower which held sway until the 
fall of Persia. Man was capable of something higher than what 
Orientalism represented, and for the realization of these higher 
ideals he constructs new empires by which to attain his larger 
self-expression. 

Persia alone of this group of states sustained a national edu- 
cational system. The Persian boy was trained to great endurance 
and to support himself under privation. In his moral training 
absolute regard for the truth was a basic principle. 

While the Persians contributed nothing to science they became 
famous in architecture, the finest example of which was the Great 
Palace at Persepolis, destroyed by Alexander. They were not an 
intellectual people ; they were soldiers fitted to rule, and, with 
Babylon, were representative of the material order. 

26 



THE ANCIENT ERA 27 

Historical Outline 

Cyrus the Great, B. C. 558-529. 

Founded a great world empire. 

Conquest of Lydia. 

Conquest of Babylon (538), and restoration of the Jews 
(536). 
Cambyses II, 529-522. 

Conquest of Egypt, 525. 
Darius I, 521-484. 

Conquest of the Punjab. 

Defeated by the Greeks at Marathon, 490. 

Xerxes I, 484-464. 

Battle of Salamis, defeated by the Greeks. 
Decline and fall of the empire. 

Period of internal strife. 

Darius III, 336-330. 

Fall of Persia by Alexander the Great, 331. 

The Fall of Babylon 

From Nabopolassar (B. C. 625-605), founder of the New 
Babylonian Empire, to the fall of the empire in 538 was a period 
of less than one hundred years. The first of the four universal 
empires, it came to its greatest distinction under Nebuchadnezzar 
(605-561), whose colossal architectural operations made Babylon 
the wonder of the ancient world. 

In 538 Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and carried to 
Babylon the greater part of the Jewish people. This brought to an 
end the kingdom of Judah. Among those carried into captivity, 
at an earlier date, was Daniel the prophet. 

With Nebuchadnezzar the glory of the New Empire passed 
away. An Aryan kingdom, having a strong energetic sovereign, 
was advancing. This sovereign, Cyrus, met Nabonidus, king of 
Babylon, in the open field and defeated him. It is the prophet 
Daniel who gives us such a graphic account of Belshazzar's feast, 
the miraculous handwriting on the wall announcing the doom 
of Babylon. Belshazzar, the son of Nabonidus, probably reigned 
conjointly with his father. 



28 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The Stories 

Belshazzar. 1902. William Stearns Davis 

The author (1877-) was born at Amherst, Mass. He grad- 
uated from Harvard University in 1900. He was lecturer at Rad- 
clifle College, instructor at Beloit College, Wisconsin, and associate 
professor of history at Oberlin College. In 1909 he became pro- 
fessor of history at the University of Minnesota. 

His story, Belshazzar, has its setting in the historical facts just 
related — the fall of Babylon. 

Istar of Babylon. 1902. Margaret Horton Potter 

Among the Babylonian gods Sin was the Lord of the Moon, 
the local god of Ur in Babylonia and of Harran in Mesopotamia. 
He is often called the father of Shamash (the Sun). The Baby- 
lonians believed the Moon had an influence upon vegetation. 
Ishtar, the Lady of Heaven, is identified with the star Venus. 

In this story Ishtar, the daughter of the moon-god, takes the 
form of a beautiful woman. Cyrus, the founder of the Persian 
world empire, his son Cambyses, who followed him on the throne, 
and Daniel the prophet, one of the Hebrew captives during the 
Babylonian exile, figure in the story. 

Zoroaster. 1885. Francis Marion Crawford 

The author (1854- 1909) was an American novelist, but in the 
main resided in Europe. He was born in Italy, a son of the sculp- 
tor, Thomas Crawford. He was educated in America, England 
and Germany. His first story, Mr. Isaacs, a story of modern 
India, brought him immediate recognition. As a novelist he does 
not deal with tangled psychological problems, but has in a marked 
degree the art of the born storyteller. 

In this Persian romance, Zoroaster, the conditions in Persia 
at the time of the fall of Babylon, and following that event, are 
fully portrayed. The feast of Belshazzar is represented. The 
scene is laid in the time of Darius and Daniel. In the Book of 
Daniel we have the account of the distinction to which Daniel was 
raised in being placed at the head of the one hundred and twenty 



THE ANCIENT ERA 29 

princes, and who, in a spirit of jealousy, conspired to bring about 
the death of the prophet. 



Reign of Cambyses II 

Cambyses (B. C. 529-522), son of Cyrus the Great, did not 
long hold the throne of the Medes and Persians. His brother 
Smerdis was made Viceroy of Iran. Dominated by his own great 
design, Cambyses invaded Egypt in B. C. 525 and defeated Psam- 
meticus III in the battle of Pelusium. In the following year 
Memphis, the capital, fell and he was soon the conqueror of the 
entire valley of the Nile. When he attempted to conquer the 
Ethiopians he met with a serious defeat. 

He had caused his brother Bardiza (Smerdis) to be murdered, 
and received news that Gaumata, the pseudo-Smerdis, who im- 
personated Bardiza whom he resembled, had seized the throne 
in his absence. The people at this time did not know that Bardiza 
had been assassinated. Cambyses was startled by this bold at- 
tempt to impersonate one whom he was satisfied was dead and 
at once set out for Persia. He never reached his capital, but died 
at Ecbatana. 

The Story 

An Egyptian Princess. 1864. Georg M. Ebers 

The author (1837- 1898) studied at Keilhau and Quedlinburg, 
and at Gottingen University took up the study of law. In 1858 
he devoted himself to philosophy and archaeology, and the follow- 
ing year to Egyptology. He went to Egypt, Arabia and Nubia in 
1869, and returning home was given the chair of Egyptology at 
the University of Leipsic. In 1872 he returned to Egypt and 
unearthed important inscriptions and a papyrus that now bears 
his name. 

This story was written during an extended illness of the 
author, and has been translated into many European languages. It 
is a story of Cambyses II and relates to the time of Amasis and 
Psammeticus III in Egypt. 

Under the escort of Bart j a (Smerdis) the handsome brother 



3 o HISTORICAL FICTION 

of Cambyses, Nitetis, the beautiful daughter of the Egyptian king, 
comes to Babylon to vved Cambyses. The latter comes to believe, 
what is wholly untrue, that she loves Bart j a, and a vicious plot is 
hatched by the eunuch to ruin the Princess. To this end he em- 
ploys his brother Gaumata (the pseudo-Smerdis), who bears a 
striking resemblance to Bart j a. The plot succeeds in implicating 
the innocent Bartja who, with others, is sentenced to death by the 
king, while the Princess is to be grossly humiliated and punished. 
Phanes, commander of the Greek mercenaries in Egypt, comes to 
Babylon at that time, stumbles on to the plot and discovers the 
culprits and satisfies the king on these points. The plotters make 
their escape. Cambyses pleads the forgiveness of the Princess, 
but it is too late for she has taken poison from which she soon 
expires. Overwhelmed, the king demands action, war, anything 
to smother his remorse, and Phanes, who had fallen into disgrace 
in Egypt has sworn revenge. He reveals to the king the secret 
that Nitetis was the daughter of Hophra, whose throne Amasis 
had usurped, and persuades him to wage war upon Egypt and 
claim the throne of Amasis as the husband of Hophra's daughter. 
Here the story ends and history supplies the facts of the con- 
quest of Egypt. Croesus, King of Lydia, Darius and other lead- 
ing personages are introduced. 

Reign of Xerxes I 

For his place in Persian history the reader is referred to the 
Historical Outline. The Jewish captivity of seventy years expired 
with the decree of Cyrus in B. C. 536, which restored them to 
their own land to rebuild their temple. This was two years after 
the fall of Babylon. Palestine now became a Persian province, 
and the historical books of the Old Testament that relate to this 
period are Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther. The story of Esther natu- 
rally gave rise to the question, with what Persian king was 
Ahasuerus identified? And it is well known that almost every 
Medo-Persian king from Cyaxares to Artaxerxes III has been 
declared to be the Ahasuerus of the Book of Esther. We are no 
longer in doubt regarding this matter. It has been definitely estab- 
lished by the cuneiform inscriptions. Prof. A. H. Sayce, an ac- 
cepted authority says, "Ahasuerus and Xerxes are the same name, 
and there is only one Xerxes to whom the account in the book of 
Esther can refer. That is the famous Xerxes I. Thanks to the 



THE ANCIENT ERA 31 

decipherment of cuneiform inscriptions, we now know that the 
Persian kings did not have two names, so that the old attempt to 
identify Xerxes of Esther with Darius or Artaxerxes can never 
be renewed." 

The reader of this book of the Old Testament will call to mind 
how that Ahasuerus, inflamed with wine at his great feast, de- 
manded that his queen Vashti be brought in to exhibit her beauty. 
Refusing to degrade herself in such a manner the king divorced 
her. In the seventh year of his reign he married Esther, a beauti- 
ful Jewess, who concealed her parentage. Through her the plot of 
Haman to destroy all the Jews of the empire was frustrated, and 
Haman died on the gallows. It is one of the most stirring stories 
of the Bible. 

Darius I, the father of Xerxes, in his expedition against Greece, 
was defeated in the battle of Marathon (B. C. 490). Before he 
could put into execution another expedition he died. His son 
Xerxes raised an army of 2,317,000 men, according to Herodotus, 
which included his naval forces. This is no doubt a great exag- 
geration as the Persian army could not have exceeded 600,000 
men. Leonidas the Spartan with 6,300 men held the pass of Ther- 
mopylae against this great force until, by an act of treachery, a 
secret byway was revealed to the Persians, and then all was lost. 
In the same year (480), in the naval battle of Salamis, Xerxes 
was defeated and retreated into Asia. His pride and his hopes 
were broken and finally was slain in his own chamber, 



The Stories 
The Star of Love. 1909. Florence M. Kingsley 

The historical events just noted, Thermopylae and Salamis, are 
introduced into the story. It deals mainly with the two queens, 
Vashti and Esther. It was in the third year of his reign that 
Xerxes made his sumptuous feast for his nobles which lasted for 
180 days at which time Vashti refused to obey the order of the 
king. In the seventh year of his reign (477) he married Esther 
as is set forth in the historical statement. It was about this time 
that Pausanias the Spartan was making his traitorous overtures 
to Xerxes, as is given in the following chapter. 



32 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Hadassah, Queen of Persia. 1912. Agnese Laurie 

Walker 

Hadassah was the earlier Jewish name of Esther. The facts 
are related in the book of Esther, 2 :?, which state the relation of 
Esther to Mordecai. Esther was an orphan and was brought up 
by her cousin, Mordecai, on account of whom Hainan's conspiracy 
was concocted. 

In this story of Esther in the Persian Court the life of the 
Court is well portrayed. 



CHAPTER IV 
GREECE 

No state had a more distinctive place in the world's develop- 
ment than did ancient Greece. She overthrew Persia and became 
the Third Universal Empire, the body and thighs of brass of 
Daniel's historical image. 

In the rise of this new world power there is something vastly 
more than the superiority of Grecian arms. The universality of 
a state is not simply a general conquest of nations, but a spreading 
of its ideas and ruling principles. Through its universal con- 
quests the larger universality is made possible. The race in the 
hands of such a conqueror receives a new impress and passes 
through new moulds. It is stamped with the mark of a new era 
which registers, in the history of humanity, its passage from one 
stage to another in its development. 

Geographical and physical conditions have had an important 
bearing upon the destiny of nations. Britain's insular position is 
a vital factor in her greatness. The physical features of Greece 
designed it for the development of small states preventing them 
from becoming a single nation under a central government. Her 
civilization developed a new order of things by which the citizen 
instead of the king is made the central idea, thus approaching the 
modern conception that the individual is the social unit. The 
central ideas of this civilization were political and intellectual 
freedom. 

Of all ancient peoples the Greek was the universal man. An- 
other distinguishing trait of the Grecian character was originality. 
Whatever came to their hand, formed by others, they recon- 
structed and stamped it with a purely Grecian conception. "When 
w r e leave Asiatic ground, and come into contact with the Greeks, 
we find ourselves in another atmosphere. A spirit of humanity, 
in the broad sense of the term, pervades their life. A regard for 
reason, a sense of order, a disposition to keep everything within 
measure is a marked characteristic. Their sense of form — includ- 

33 



34 HISTORICAL FICTION 

ing a perception of beauty, and of harmony and proportion — 
made them in politics and letters the leaders of mankind. Their 
language without a rival in flexibility and symmetry and in per- 
fection of sound, is itself, though a spontaneous creation, a work 
of art." 

Such a people living in a genial and invigorating climate, 
fanned by the breezes of mountain and sea, arose in the midst of 
materialistic conditions with a new ideal — the creation of the per- 
fect man by intellectual processes. 

Historical Outline 

I. The Heroic Age, B. C. 2000-1 100. 

The Greek Heroes. The Argonauts. 
Trojan War. Dorian migration. 

II. The Formative Age, 1 100-500. 

1. Peloponnesus in B. C. 500. Ruled by Spartans. Re- 

publican Oligarchy. 

2. Athens in B. C. 500. 

Supremacy in Middle Greece. Draco, Solon, Pisis- 
tratus. 

III. The Golden Age, 500-429. 

1. The Persian Wars, 500-479. 

First expedition of Darius against Greece, 492. 
Second expedition, 490. Battle of Marathon. 
Invasion of Xerxes. Thermopylae, 480; Salamis, 

480. 
Pausanias. Battle of Plataea, 479. 

2. The Athenian Empire. 

Athens rebuilt. Piraeus fortified. 
Treachery of Pausanias. 
The rising of Pericles, 460. 

3. The Periclean Age, 445-429. 

Democracy Under Pericles. 

Brilliant period in art, architecture, literature, phil- 
osophy. 

IV. Period of Conquest and Decline, 431-146. 

1. The Peloponnesian War, 431-404. 

Expedition of Alcibiades to Sicily, 415. 

Battles of Arginusae, 406, and Aeguspotami, 405. 

Fall of Athens, 404. 



THE ANCIENT ERA 35 

2. Spartan and Theban supremacy, 404-362. 

3. The Macedonian Period, 359-323. 

Philip II, 359-336. 
Alexander the Great, 336-323. 

Conquests — Asia, Egypt, Persia, India. 

4. Division of the Empire. 

5. Greece a Roman province, B. C. 146. 

The Persian Wars 

The Persian Empire, extending its power to the Aegean Sea, 
had subdued the Greek cities of Asia Minor, and her aim was to 
crush the cities of European Greece. Sardis was destroyed B. C. 
500. Then after a long siege Miletus was taken, and the remain- 
ing cities of Ionia were sacked and destroyed. 

Having crushed the Ionian revolt Darius decided to punish 
the Athenians for the aid they had rendered the Ionians. His 
first expedition was a failure. For the second expedition he mo- 
bilized an army of 120,000. The Greeks met them in the plain 
of Marathon and and won a decided victory. One of the decisive 
battles of the world, it marks the turning point in the history of 
humanity. The battle decided that no longer the despotism of 
the East, with its repression of all individual action, but the free- 
dom of the West, with all its incentives to personal effort, should 
mark the future centuries of history. The tradition of the fight 
forms the prelude of the story of human freedom and progress. 

While engaged with preparations for another great invasion 
of Greece Darius died, and his son Xerxes coming to the throne 
put into execution his father's plans. The Greeks, numbering 
about 7,000 men under Leonidas, king of Sparta, met this vast 
army at the pass of Thermopylae. An act of treachery betrayed 
to the Persians a path leading over the mountains to the rear of 
the Spartans. The latter fought to the last man, but Thermopylae 
became a sacred spot to all future generations of Greece. 

The Greek fleet lay in the Gulf of Salamis waiting for the 
Persian fleet to strike. Deceived by the ruse of Themistocles 
Xerxes ordered his fleet to attack. From the shore he watched 
the battle and saw his fleet of 200 ships destroyed. 

In the following year (479) the Greeks, with the largest army 
they had ever raised, under the command of Pausanias, again de- 
feated the Persians in the battle of Plataea, and on the same dav, 



36 HISTORICAL FICTION 

at Cape Mycale in Ionia, another great victory was won by their 
land and naval force. 

The Stories 
A Victor of Salamis. 1907. W. Stearns Davis 

It was this conflict with the powerful Persian state that brought 
forth Themistocles, a man of genius, the creator of the naval 
power of the Athenians. Possessed of shrewd statesmanship, he 
saw the need of a strong navy, and his policy succeeding at Sala- 
mis, he became the salvation of the state. 

A Victor of Salamis deals with the invasion of Xerxes. The 
hero of the tale is both an athlete and warrior. Thermopylae and 
Leonidas take their place in the story, and also Salamis, Plataea, 
Themistocles and Xerxes. 

It also describes the Isthmian games. The great festivals of 
the Greeks were the Olympian games in honor of the Olympian 
Zeus ; the Pythian, held in honor of Apollo ; the Nemean, in honor 
of Zeus of Nemea; the Isthmian, in honor of Poseidon on the 
Isthmus of Corinth. The Olympian games occurred every fourth 
year and consisted of foot-races, boxing, chariot racing, etc. The 
competitors must be qualified by special training. These festivals 
exerted a powerful influence upon the social, literary and religious 
life of the people in stimulating among the Hellenic states a com- 
mon literary enthusiasm. Into the Pythian, Nemean and Isth- 
mian festivals were introduced contests in oratory, history and 
poetry. The artist exhibited his masterpiece, and the poet and 
historian contributed their best productions. 

Three Greek Children. 1889. Alfred J. Church 

The author (1829-1912) was born in London. He was edu- 
cated at King's College, London, and Lincoln College, Oxford. 
He was ordained in 1853. During the years 1870-72 he was the 
head master of Henley Grammar School, and was afterwards 
professor of Latin in University College, London. He was a 
prolific writer and is best known for his retellings of classical 
tales and legends for young people. 

In this story, Three Greek Children, the author portrays home 
life in Athens. It deals with the same historical period and events 



THE ANCIENT ERA 37 

as does the preceding story — Marathon, Piraeus, Salamis and the 
Isthmian Games. 

The Lemnian. 1912. John Buchan 

The leading interest of this story is the battle of Thermopylae. 
(See historical sketch.) The graphic account of the famous battle 
is given by an islander who happened to be present, and watched 
the Spartans in their heroic resistance of the great Persian force. 

Pausanias 

Pausanias was in charge of the Greek army of 110,000 men 
at the battle of Plataea (479). The Persian army was practically 
annihilated which reflected great honor upon Pausanias. This 
great success turned his head, and he decided that the circum- 
stances were auspicious for his ambition to become tyrant of all 
Greece. He treacherously proposed to Xerxes, the Persian king, 
that he co-operate with him, and as the price of his treachery be 
given the rule of Greece as the viceroy of Xerxes. This proposi- 
tion was accepted by Xerxes. Pausanias was called to account 
by the Ephors at Sparta. Taking refuge in the sanctuary of 
Athena at Sparta, the doors were fastened and every means of 
escape from the building were cut off. He was left to die of 
starvation. 

The Story 

Pausanias the Spartan. 1875. Bulwer-Lytton 

This English author (1803- 1873), after graduating from Cam- 
bridge, spent some time in Paris. He became estranged from his 
mother on account of his marriage which she did not approve. 
This threw him upon his own resources, and, to support himself, 
he turned his attention to literature. His productions brought 
him great popularity because of the interest his stories inspired. 
His life passed through the stirring scenes of the Napoleonic Era, 
the War of 181 2, the Crimean War and the Franco-German War. 

This unfinished historical romance, the last of the author's 
works, comprises history, love and tragedy. It has its setting in 
the time of Pausanias. By a mistake he killed the woman he 
loved as she came to his couch by night. 



3§ HISTORICAL FICTION 

Age of Pericles 

There is little danger of exaggerating the influence of this 
brief period of about fifteen years upon the civilization of the 
world. During this time Athens brought forth more distinguished 
men in the realms of statesmanship, philosophy, art and poetry 
than have been produced by all nations in any period of the world 
of equal length. 

In B. C. 509 a democratic government was set up under the 
new constitution proposed by Clisthenes. When Pericles became 
the leader in Athens Athenian democracy had in him its great 
representative. In his attempt to create a land empire in central 
Greece he encountered great opposition on the part of Sparta, 
whose jealousy of this growing strength of Athens stimulated her 
to invest her power in the aristocracy of the Cities of Boeotia. 
In this conflict the Athenians were at first successful, but at 
Coronea (447) the Spartans gained a great victory followed by 
the Thirty Years' Truce which provided that each of the two 
cities should not interfere with the subjects of the other, or com- 
pel any city not of these confederations to join either, only as they 
freely chose to do so. 

Alcibiades, the nephew of Pericles, was an Athenian general 
and politician. He was brilliant but dissolute and profligate. He 
came under the instructions of Socrates, but the great philosopher 
was unable to change the course of his reckless habits. He at- 
tained a political ascendency and played a leading part in the 
affairs of the state. His great rival and opponent was Nicias, who 
argued against the project of Alcibiades of sending an expedition 
to Sicily. 

Socrates, following the Sophistic School, was the founder of 
a new and constructive development in Grecian philosophy. His 
wife was Xanthippe, who did not sympathize with his philosoph- 
ical speculations, notwithstanding the fact that her husband in his 
ethical system was surpassed only by the Man of Galilee. Nature 
was not very kind to this great soul in the matter of his person for 
he was probably as ugly and ungainly a personage as could be 
found in Athens. He wrote nothing, but as the teacher of Plato 
the truth he uttered was saved to the world. 

Aristophanes (450-385), the great writer of comedy, exercised 
his abilities in ridiculing the Sophists, the most noted of whom 
were Protagoras, Gorgias and Prodicus. 



THE ANCIENT ERA 39 

Anaxagoras (about 500-427) had the distinction of being the 
first of the Greek thinkers to find in Mind the fundamental ground 
of all things. He was the teacher of Pericles. His basic concep- 
tion was the turning point in Greek philosophy. 

Sophocles (496-405) was the leader of tragedy at Athens. The 
central idea of his dramas is, "that self-will and insolent pride 
arouse the righteous indignation of the gods, and that no mortal 
can contend successfully against the will of Zeus." 

The following stories will indicate why these brief notices have 
been given dealing with the great interests of this period. 

The Stories 
The Stranger from Ionia. 1911. William P. Kelly 

The historical setting of this story is the age of Pericles. Such 
leading personages are introduced as Socrates, Alcibiades, Xan- 
thippe the wife of Socrates, Nicias and the son of Pericles. Spe- 
cial importance attaches to the conflict between aristocracy and 
democracy at Athens. The young stranger from Ionia falls in 
love with a young Athenian woman. It is not possible for them 
to be legitimately wedded in Athens, but the same obstacle did 
not exist in his country, and she flees with him to Ionia to become 
his wife. 

Pericles arid Aspasia. 1836. Walter Savage Landor 

This English poet and prose writer (1775-1864) was born at 
Ipsley Court, Warwickshire. As a pupil at Rugby he distinguished 
himself in Latin verse, but was compelled to leave that school on 
account of his bad temper. In 1793 he entered Trinity College, 
Oxford, where other troubles awaited him on account of the 
manner in which he expressed his republican views and his uncon- 
ventional habits. Leaving Oxford on these accounts brought him 
into conflict with his father. In Wales he wrote Geber, which 
was admired by Coleridge, Southey and Shelley. In 1808 he 
served under Blake in Spain. In Florence in 1858 he was assisted 
by Browning. "Landor's was a powerful personality connecting 
the earlier and later poets of the nineteenth century. His prose 
rises at times to magnificence." 

The social position of women in Greece was not high, and the 
Grecian wife did not exert the refining influence common to 



40 HISTORICAL FICTION 

modern home-life. For social and intellectual companionship 
men sought a class of highly cultured women known as Hetaerae. 
The most brilliant representative of this class was Aspasia, the 
friend of Pericles. Her accomplishments attracted to her home 
such men as Socrates and Anaxagoras. Aspasia was associated 
with Pericles in a way condemned by modern morality. She 
was accused of being impious, and was saved from this accusation 
only by the pleading of Pericles before the court. Being a native 
of Miletus, she could not become the wife of Pericles, as marriage 
with a foreign woman was illegal according to Athenian law. Her 
son by Pericles was legitimated by a special decree of the people. 

Landor's story portrays the brilliant character of this Golden 
Age of Greece in its intellectual grandeur, and also the social life 
of Athens at this time. Among the great personages that figure 
in the historical presentation are Sophocles, Anaxagoras, Aristoph- 
anes, Alcibiades and Socrates. This work is considered the most 
remarkable example of Landor's dialogues. 

Aspasia. 1881. Robert Hammerling 

In this romance of art and love the author makes prominent 
the immoral characteristics of Aspasia. This is not emphasized 
by Landor in his work as noted above. 

The Peloponnesian War 

As noted by the Historical Outline this war began B. C. 431, 
and lasted for a period of twenty-seven years. Between Athens 
and Sparta was constant jealousy so that a conflict between these 
rival cities was not difficult to precipitate. The immediate causes 
of the war lay in the part Athens took in the conflict between 
Corinth and Corey ra relative to the commerce of the islands and 
coast towns of Western Greece, and the blockade of Potidaea by 
Athens. Sparta, as the head of the Dorian alliance, was appealed 
to by Corinth. After listening to the facts presented by the depu- 
ties Sparta decided that Athens had acted unjustly and declared 
war. The Peloponnesians ravished Attica, but the Athenians were 
strongly defended by their walls. A plague broke out in the city, 
however, which swept away one-fourth of the population. Among 
the victims was Pericles himself. 

By the battle of Martinea Sparta was re-established in her 
leadership in the Peloponnesus. 



THE ANCIENT ERA 41 

Following the taking of the island of Melos by the Athenians 
(416), Athens embarked upon an enterprise that was destined to 
be attended with far-reaching results comprising the Hellenic 
world. From the city of Egesta in Sicily had come to Athens an 
appeal for help against the city of Selinus. Nicias succeeded in 
securing the attention of the people in a meeting of the Ecclesia, 
and pointed out the great mistake in sending a fleet of sixty vessels 
to Sicily and thus attempt, under existing conditions, to extend 
their conquests. Opposed to him was Alcibiades, the leading spirit 
in this undertaking. He painted a picture of conquest in Sicily 
and the raising of Athens to glorious heights. In his reply to this 
speech Nicias, in setting forth the folly of attempting a thing of 
such vast proportions, only succeeded in firing the imagination 
of the people and making them the more anxious to engage in such 
an enterprise. 

Alcibiades was one of the generals in command of the expedi- 
tion. No sooner had it reached Sicily than Alcibiades was sum- 
moned to return to Athens to answer a charge of impiety, that he 
had participated in the mutilation of the statues of Hermes just 
before the departure of the expedition. Instead of returning to 
Athens and there being at the mercy of his enemies, he fled to 
Sparta and played the traitor by giving the Spartans such advice 
and information as would destroy the work of the Sicilian expedi- 
tion, and by other movements greatly damaged Athenian interests. 
The advice was followed and the expedition came to an igno- 
minious end. 

Notwithstanding the awful loss both in men and ships this 
disaster involved, the Athenians set to work to raise another army 
and create a new navy. Alcibiades was called to Athens to make 
restitution for his treachery by guiding these new plans and taking 
command of the army. But he had ruined Athens far more com- 
pletely than he could now save her. After having some distinc- 
tive victories he was defeated, and rather than face his country- 
men he sought refuge in flight. 

In the naval battle of Arginusae (406) the Athenians were 
victorious, but in the following year the Spartan general Lysander 
captured the Athenian fleet at Aegospotami, which brought the 
war to an end. This victory sealed the fate of Athens. Be- 
sieged by land and sea she was compelled to surrender. The Long 
Walls and fortifications were demolished. "The dominion of the 



42 HISTORICAL FICTION 

imperial city of Athens was at an end, and the great days of 
Greece were past." 

The Stories 

On the Knees of the Gods. 1908. Mrs. Anna B. Dodd 

The period in which the scene is laid in this story was that of 
the expedition to Sicily under the command of Alcibiades, and 
that became so directly related to the fall of Athens. Socrates, 
the great philosopher, who passed through this period has a place 
in these events. The love interest in the story is that of an Athe- 
nian of noble birth, who falls in love with a slave. The events 
carry us to Athens, Corinth and Syracuse, all so closely associated 
in the Peloponnesian War. 

The Fall of Athens. 1894. Alfred J. Church 

In the battle of Arginusae, mentioned in the historical sketch, 
in which the Athenians were victorious, twenty-five of their ships 
were wrecked in the conflict. Forty-five or more ships were com- 
missioned to rescue the crews of these ships, while the others 
pursued the Spartans. A heavy storm arising they were unable 
to reach the wrecks and the crews perished. The fact that no one 
was to blame for this misfortune did not prevent the Athenian 
Assembly from condemning to death the generals who had com- 
mand of the fleet. Socrates the philosopher raised his voice 
against this rash act, but was unable to save the generals. 

This story, The Fall of Athens, deals with this event of the war 
and the victory of Lysander in the battle of Aegospotami. It por- 
trays the fall of Athens and the destruction of the walls and forti- 
fications. The story carries us over to the period of the Spartan 
supremacy to the great event of the Retreat of the Ten Thousand. 
These Greeks were mercenaries of Cyrus, the brother of the Per- 
sian king Artaxerxes II, whom he attempted to dethrone. Cyrus 
was slain in the battle. The Greeks selected Xenophon to lead 
them back home, and this expedition was one of the most memo- 
rable retreats in history. Xenophon has given the account of this 
expedition. He is introduced into the story and the Retreat is 
related. 

The closing event of the story is the condemnation and death 
of Socrates. In a former sketch we have spoken of the place and 



THE ANCIENT ERA 43 

distinction of this great soul in Grecian philosophy. He had 
exposed the ignorance and pretensions of many who posed as 
teachers of wisdom. They now charged Socrates with the intro- 
duction of new gods and corrupting the youth. The charges were 
false. What he had said in criticising the Athenian democracy 
told against him in this trial. In the end the sentence of death 
was passed, and Socrates drank the cup of hemlock. 

Period of Alexander the Great 

With the rise of Macedonia Greece entered upon a new era 
of its history which attained its first distinction in the reign of 
Philip II (359-336). He opened the way for the conquests of his 
famous son, and secured the union of the Macedonian monarchial 
and military system with Hellenic culture. 

Alexander was twenty years of age when he followed his 
father upon the throne. His great work extended over the brief 
period of thirteen years (B. C. 336-323). One of the greatest in- 
fluences in his life was that of his tutor, Aristotle the philosopher, 
one of the most intellectual men of all time. This great teacher 
implanted in the mind of the young prince a love of literature and 
philosophy, and through his inspiring companionship and lofty 
conversation exercised over the eager, impulsive boy an influence 
for good which Alexander himself gratefully acknowledged in 
later years. 

During this brief period of thirteen years Alexander had 
altered the course of human history. He gathered the world of 
his day within the scope of his conquests. But no greater mistake 
could be made than to interpret his mighty achievements simply 
in terms of conquest, of the territorial expansion of his empire. 
He aimed at great results even though in the end the results ex- 
ceeded his aims. Over Egypt and Western Asia he spread Hellenic 
civilization. He brought together the East and the West and was 
thus to prepare the way for their ultimate unity. One great result 
of his conquests was that "the distinction between Greek and bar- 
barian was obliterated, and the sympathies of men, hitherto so 
narrow and local, were widened, and thus an important prepara- 
tion was made for the reception of the cosmopolitan creed of 
Christianity." A further preparation for the spread of Christian 
teachings lay in the universal language of culture which was given 
the world. 



44 HISTORICAL FICTION 

His father paved the way for his achievements and opened up 
for him a great opportunity, but opportunity is only such when 
one has the genius to appreciate and grasp it, and Alexander pos- 
sessed that genius. As one writer has forcibly said, "when we 
consider the rapidity, extent, number and importance of his con- 
quests, Alexander must be regarded as the greatest prodigy of 
history. No other man has accomplished results so many, astound- 
ing, and important in so brief a period." 

The Stories 

The Golden Hope. 1905. Robert H. Fuller 

Battle of the Granicus 

Early in the year B. C. 334, at the head of an army of 35,000 
men Alexander set out to conquer the Persian Empire. Darius 
III was then on the Persian throne. On the banks of the Granicus 
he met the Persian army and gained a decisive victory which 
opened the door of Asia Minor to the conqueror. 

Battle of Issus 

In the following year, in the plain of Issus, Alexander encoun- 
tered a Persian army of over half a million men completely de- 
feating it. Darius making his escape from the battle fled to Susa 
to mobilize another army and stop the progress of the Greeks. 

Siege and Fall of Tyre 

To protect his movements and to prevent his communications 
with Greece from being closed Alexander entered Phoenicia and 
laid siege to Tyre, which continued for seven months. By the con- 
struction of a mole, a remarkable piece of work, Tyre was taken. 
Influenced by these operations, Palestine and Philistia surrendered 
to the Macedonian. 

Battle of Arbela 

Returning from Egypt where he founded the city of Alexan- 
dria, Alexander started toward Persia to effect the conquest of that 
state. Darius had sent a proposal offering him all the Persian prov- 
inces west of the Euphrates. Alexander refused the terms, de- 
claring "There cannot be two suns in the heavens." On the plains 
of Arbela, near Nineva, Darius had gathered an army of a million 



THE ANCIENT ERA 45 

men, according to some authorities, made up of various races, 
while the army of Alexander consisted of about 47,000, including 
cavalry. By discipline and organization the Macedonians over- 
threw the Persian force which broke into a wild flight, Darius 
once more escaping from the field. Arbela was one of the decisive 
battles of history bringing to an end the Persian Empire and its 
conflict with Greece, and opened the way for the extension of 
Grecian civilization over Western Asia. 

Fuller's story, The Golden Hope, is remarkable for its histor- 
ical scope in tracing this period from the accession of Alexander 
to the throne through these great events we have just sketched. 
Along with these scenes of Alexander's conquests the story intro- 
duces Aristotle, the teacher of Alexander, and Demosthenes the 
orator, who died the year following the death of Alexander. 

A Young Macedonian in the Army of Alexander the 
Great. 1890. Alfred J. Church 

The historical interests of this story are similar to those of 
the preceding relative to the battle of the Granicus, the siege of 
Tyre and battle of Arbela. 

When Darius, the Persian king, escaped from the field at 
Arbela he fled to Ecbatana. Closely pursued by Alexander he left 
this city to seek a refuge in a remote corner of his empire. Before 
Alexander could overtake him he was assassinated by one of his 
generals. The body was sent by Alexander to the mother of 
Darius. 

The death of Darius appears in the story. 

By his remarkable conquests Alexander's empire stretched 
from the Ionian Sea to the Indus. He chose as his capital the 
City of Babylon, which, as the center of his empire, he believed 
would enable him to accomplish his plan of Hellenizing the world. 
While pursuing these great ends he was seized by a fever and died 
at the age of thirty-two years. 

The story deals with Alexander in this closing period in his 
capital at Babylon. 



CHAPTER V 
CARTHAGE 

Carthage was the most important city established by the Phoe- 
nicians. It was founded as a trading post probably about B. C. 
850. It was situated upon the northern coast of Africa, about 
twenty miles south of Utica and near the site of modern Tunis. It 
had every advantage in the point of location, having one of the 
best harbors of the African coast. It was built on a peninsula 
about three miles wide and was defended on all sides by walls. 

At the height of its greatness Carthage is said to have had a 
population of 700,000, which, most likely, exceeded that of Rome. 
She built the largest navy of any of the peoples of that day, and 
her increase in power enabled her to secure dominion over the 
Phoenician colonies of northern Africa. From Corsica and 
Southern Spain she received tribute. 

For more than five hundred years Carthage and Rome had 
been enlarging their bounds and developing sources. The 

territories of the former were scattered while those of the latter 
were more compact and nearly related. This was one adv; 
Rome had over her rival, and again there were elements of 
strength in the Roman political system which did not exist in the 
Carthaginian. The Roman state was the most wonderful pol 
organization that had ever been established, and was creating a 
system whereby every free man should enjoy full citizenship. On 
the other hand, Carthage was a despotic oligarchy. 

One great advantage Carthage had over Rome lay in her navy, 
which was the best equipped fleet that had ever been placed upon 
the Mediterranean. Rome had practically no navy and no expe- 
rience in that mode of warfare. According to Polybius when the 
Romans crossed over to Sicily they had not a single galley, and 
carried their armies across by the means of boats borrowed from 
the Greeks. 

Thus we see how these two states, that were to come into 
deadly conflict, developed, and the distinguishing differences be- 
tween them. 

46 



THE ANCIENT ERA 47 

The Punic Wars 

These wars, with intervals in between, extended over a period 
of 118 years. The word "Punic" is from the Latin Poeni, signi- 
fying Phoenicians. It was applied by the Romans to the Cartha- 
ginians as they were Phoenician colonists. There were three wars : 

1. The First Punic War, B. C. 264-241. 

The defeat of Carthage. 

2. The Second Punic War, 218-201. 

Hannibal's victories. Exhaustion and defeat of Carthage. 

3. The Third Punic War, 149-146. 

The destruction of Carthage. 

In B. C. 264 the island of Sicily, with the exception of a part of 
the eastern coast, was in possession of Carthage. For two hun- 
dred years there was a continual conflict between Carthage and 
the Greeks for the possession of the island. By pretending that 
their friends on the island needed their protection the Romans 
entered into this struggle. Their first victory gained for them the 
submission of many cities that had been under the control of 
Syracuse, a Greek city, and Carthage. When the king of Syracuse 
saw that Rome would come off victorious he abandoned the Car- 
thaginians, with whom he had been allied, and joined forces with 
the Romans. The war was carried into Africa where the Romans 
met with a crushing defeat and their fleet destroyed by a storm. 
The Carthaginians, after being defeated in the battle of Panormus, 
sought peace, but Rome continued the war. Rome lost four fleets 
in this first war, and the last that sank beneath the waves broke 
the Roman spirit. 

Hamilcar 

A few years before this first war ended (247), Hamilcar Barca 
was given command of the Carthaginian forces. He was the 
father of Hannibal and a great general. His operations on the 
island of Sicily brought great uneasiness to Rome. But in B. C. 
241 another Roman fleet gained a complete victory over that of 
Carthage and the latter sued for peace. She surrendered all claims 
to Sicily and paid a large indemnity. 

There was an interval between the first and second wars ex- 
tending from 241-218, during which time Hamilcar was sent 
to Spain, where Carthage hoped to make new conquests and thus 



48 HISTORICAL FICTION 

make up her losses to Rome. Hamilcar devoted his abilities to 
the organization of a state consisting of Iberian tribes, and worked 
the gold and silver mines in the southern part of the country. His 
great desire was to make Spain a point of attack against Rome. 
After bringing the whole southern and eastern part of the country 
under Carthaginian rule he was slain in battle against the Vettones 
in B. C. 228, about ten years before the breaking out of the Second 
Punic War. 

The Story 
Salammbo. 1862. Gustave Flaubert 

The author (1821-1880) was born at Rouen, France. He was 
the son of a surgeon and seemed to inherit a power of psychic 
diagnosis. His works are distinguished for their faultless style, 
each production being the work of years. His Madame Bovary 
gave the formula of the modern novel. He had no sympathy with 
democracy. Wishing to conceal the disease to which he was sub- 
ject (epilepsy) he became more and more a recluse. 

Salammbo, the heroine of this historical romance, is a Car- 
thaginian princess, the daughter of Hamilcar Barca and sister of 
Hannibal. Carthage is besieged by the mercenaries who have not 
received their pay and have revolted against the city. Matho, the 
leader of the mercenaries loves Salammbo. He succeeded in steal- 
ing the sacred mantle of the goddess Tanit. Salammbo is com- 
missioned to recover the mantle ; she does this by going to the 
tent of Matho at night, and beloved by him, has little trouble in 
influencing him to surrender the talisman. Carthage puts down 
the revolt and executes the mercenaries. Matho is subjected to 
hideous torture as he runs the gauntlet through the streets, 
and dies at the feet of Salammbo. These r es are portrayed by 
the author with remarkable vividness. 

Hannibal 

Hamilcar, up to this time, was the greatest general the Car- 
thaginians had produced. His remarkable genius reappeared in 
his son Hannibal. When his father died he was nineteen years 
of age. At the age of twenty-six he was unanimously chosen by 
the army as its leader. When a child of nine years Hamilcar led 
him to the altar, and with his hands upon it, he swore eternal 
hatred to Rome. He himself declared, in pursuing his great under- 



THE ANCIENT ERA 49 

taking, that he was stimulated by the sacred obligations of a vow 
that could not be broken. In two years he had extended the power 
of Carthage to Ebro. 

The Romans had formed an alliance with the city of Saguntum 
in Spain. In B. C. 219 Hannibal laid siege to it, knowing full 
well that it would precipitate another war with Rome, which he 
sought rather than tried to avert. Rome remonstrated but Han- 
nibal took the city. In the following year (218) began the Second 
Punic War, B. C. 218-201. 

With a force of 100,000 men Hannibal crossed the Pyrenees 
and the Rhone, and then over the Alps. The extreme hardships 
encountered reduced his arms to 20,000 men, with which force he 
proposed to attack the Roman State having on its lists 700,000 
foot soldiers and 70,000 cavalry. In the battle of Trebia the com- 
bined forces of Sempronius and Scipio were drawn into an am- 
buscade by Hannibal and were nearly annihilated. The Gauls 
flocked to his standard, and reinforced, he met the Romans at 
Lake Trasimenus. Trapped between the lake and the hills the 
Romans were decisively defeated. In the following year (216) 
the Romans faced Hannibal in the battle of Cannae with 80,000 
men, while the latter had about one-half that number. By re- 
markable strategy Hannibal surrounded and bunched the Roman 
army. But few of the Romans escaped, and when the news was 
carried to Rome the city was thrown into a state of wild conster- 
nation. 

To call Hannibal out of Italy the Romans carried the war into 
Africa. At Zama, near Carthage, Hannibal met with his first and 
final defeat (202). Carthage was at last exhausted and sued for 
peace. The most desperate struggle ever waged by rival powers 
for empire was ended. 

The Stories 

The Young Carthaginian. 1886. George A. Henty 

In the beginning of the story the scene is laid in Carthage, 
whose political and social conditions are represented. The story 
then follows the historical movement, describing the taking of 
Saguntum in Spain, the crossing of the Rhone and the Alps fol- 
lowed by the battles of Trebia, Lake Trasimenus, Cannae, the war 
in Africa, etc., as given in the historical sketch. 



50 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Aneroestes the Gaul. 1899. E. M. Smith 

This story deals with the early stages of the Second Punic 
War. It follows the movements of the Carthaginian forces under 
Hannibal in Gaul, crossing the Alps and the campaign in Italy. 

The Lion's Brood. 1901. Duffield Osborne 

The author (1858-) was born in Brooklyn, N. Y. In 1879 
he graduated from Columbia and practised law in New York 
from 1 88 1 to 1892. Turning his attention to literature he pro- 
duced several works. Those by which he is best known are, The 
Spell of Ashtaroth, The Robe of Nessus, The Secret of the Crater, 
The Lion's Brood. 

Hamilcar was fond of speaking of his sons as the "lion's 
brood," hence the title of this story. It deals especially with the 
first years of the Second Punic War, and among these events the 
battles of Lake Trasimenus and Cannae. 

Fall of Carthage 

The close of the Second Punic War saw Carthage completely 
exhausted. She again sued for peace, and paid a much larger 
indemnity than at the close of the first war. Scipio was received 
at Rome with great honors and was given, in recognition of his 
accomplishments, the surname Africanus. The war had its dam- 
aging effect upon Italy likewise. She suffered a loss of 300,000 
men in battle and the extinction of scores of towns. 

In the interval between the Second and Third Wars the second 
and third Macedonian wars occurred, also the war with Antiochus 
III of Syria. 

One of the terms imposed upon Carthage at the close of the 
Second Punic War was that she should not make war against any 
ally of Rome. Having Carthage at this disadvantage, the king 
of Numidia, an ally of Rome, began to harass and plunder the 
Carthaginian territory. An appeal to Rome, instead of securing 
justice, brought about the greater injustice to her in Rome's sup- 
port of the Numidian outrages. At last in self-defence they raised 
an army and met the Numidians in battle, but were defeated. This 
gave Rome the pretext she wanted for the destruction of Carthage. 
For the defence of their city every sacrifice was made after they 
had been treacherously disarmed by the Romans. For four years 



THE ANCIENT ERA 51 

they held out against the besieging army, then Scipio Africanus 
Minor decided to take it by storm. When the Romans entered 
the city, instead of a population of 700,000, they found about 
50,000 men, women and children. The torch was then applied and 
Carthage was wiped out of existence (146 B. C). 

The Story 
Lords of the World. 1898. Alfred J. Church 

In this story the author has given a description of the fall of 
Carthage and Corinth and the campaigns of the two Roman con- 
suls, Scipio Africanus Minor in Africa and Lucius Mummius in 
Greece. 

In the year that Carthage fell the same fate befell Corinth in 
Greece. Following the third Macedonian war, because the cities 
of the Achaean League had not exhibited an enthusiastic attitude 
towards Rome, a thousand citizens were taken from these cities 
and placed in Italy as hostages for a period of seventeen years. 
Among them was the historian Polybius, who has given us the 
record of these events. These hostages were then permitted to 
return home. They created the most bitter feelings toward Rome 
and in Corinth this was especially exhibited. This brought the 
Roman legions under Lucius Mummius, who defeated the Greeks, 
looted Corinth of its treasures and destroyed the city. 

Thus it is that the Lords of the World deals with both of these 
events, the fall of Carthage and the fall of Corinth and the cam- 
paigns of the two Roman consuls. 

The New Carthage 

In the year B. C. 29 Augustus, in the third year of his reign, 
rebuilt Carthage, which became one of the finest cities of the 
Roman Empire. Great events have taken place since Carthage was 
restored. The life and ministry of Christ have established a new 
religion in the world. Christianity has spread over the Roman 
Empire and the Christian Church has become firmly established. 
Then came the fires of Roman persecution in the attempt to exter- 
minate the new religion. These stirring events of these first cen- 
turies of the Christian era will be considered in their proper order 
when we come to the chapter on the Roman Empire. 

New Carthage, now a part of this world empire, is witnessing 



52 HISTORICAL FICTION 

an altogether different struggle than that of the days of Hannibal 
and the Punic Wars. The new religion has taken root in her as in 
other cities of the empire, and the conflict that is being waged is a 
spiritual conflict to which Rome brings the material weapons of 
her warfare. 

Cyprian, a Latin father of the early Church, was a native of 
Africa. Prior to his conversion to Christianity he had attained to 
considerable distinction as a teacher of rhetoric. His conversion 
occurred about A. D. 246, and in two years he was made bishop 
of Carthage. The following year saw Decius on the throne, and 
the next year he instituted his persecution of the Christians. Ow- 
ing to this persecution Cyprian withdrew from Carthage but re- 
turned the following year. In 258 the emperor issued an edict 
which required that the bishops, presbyters and deacons should 
immediately be put to death. In compliance with this order in 
September of that year, in Carthage Cyprian received the martyr's 
crown. 

The Stories 

Lapsed, Not Lost. 1877. Elizabeth R. Charles 

The stories of this popular English novelist (1828-1896) touch 
almost every century and every country of Christendom. Her 
first work, Tales and Sketches of Christian Life appeared in 1850. 
Her last sixteen productions, brought out by the Society for Pro- 
moting Christian Knowledge, were published between 1885 and 
1896. Her noteworthy work, and by which she is perhaps best 
known, is The Schonberg-Cotta Family, a story of the German 
Reformation. 

Lapsed, Not Lost has its setting in Carthage under the histor- 
ical conditions just set forth in the sketch — the Decian persecu- 
tion as it touched the Christian life of that city during the bishopric 
of Cyprian, who holds a place in the story. 

The Farm of Aptonga. 1902. John M. Neale 

The auther (1818-1866) was born at London. In 1840 he 
graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge, and was ordained 
by the Church of England in 1842. He was considered the best 
classical scholar of his year. He was one of the founders of the 
Cambridge Camden Society. For a time he acted as chaplain and 



THE ANCIENT ERA 53 

tutor of Downing College. During this time he came under the 
influence of the Oxford movement. His religious views created 
an opposition that hindered his advancement along ecclesiastical 
lines. Harvard University conferred upon him the degree of 
D. D. He is probably without a superior as a translator of ancient 
Latin and Greek hymns, and has written extensively on a great 
variety of subjects. 

The Farm of Aptonga deals with the same period and condi- 
tions as were set forth in the preceding story — the persecutions 
under Decius and Valerian when Cyprian and many others in 
Carthage were martyrs to the Christian faith. Aptonga is south 
of Carthage and was the scene of the same persecution. 

Callista: A Sketch of the Third Century. 1855. 
Cardinal John Henry Newman 

The author (1801-1890) was born in London and was educated 
at Trinity College, Oxford. He graduated with classical honors 
and was elected fellow of Oriel College. Under Bishop Whately 
he was vice-principal of Saint Albans Hall. His tract on the 
elasticity of the Thirty-Nine Articles drew upon him severe criti- 
cism by the university authorities and resulted in his secession to 
the Church of Rome in 1845. I* 1 l &79 ne was created a cardinal. 
He replied to William E. Gladstone on the Vatican Decrees. He is 
the author of the beautiful hymn sung in all religious denomina- 
tions regardless of creed, Lead Kindly Light. 

Callista is the heroine of Newman's historical romance. She 
is a beautiful Greek girl of various accomplishments — a sculp- 
tress, a singer, a dancer, and in all of these is distinctive. Agellius, 
a Christian, is her lover. Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, is instru- 
mental in her conversion to Christianity. She falls under the 
persecution and yields her life as a martyr. Her death exerts a 
great reviving influence over the Church at Sicca. Agellius be- 
comes a bishop and he too suffers death as a martyr, and with 
Callista is canonized. 



CHAPTER VI 

THE ROMAN REPUBLIC 

There are three distinct stages in Roman history : Rome as a 
Kingdom, Rome as a Republic and Rome as an Empire. In these 
studies the interest lies in the Republic and Empire. 

When the monarchy was overthrown the Romans instituted 
measures for the reconstruction of the government, and entered 
upon that period of her development in which she became distinc- 
tive as the Fourth Universal Empire. The Historic Man of 
Daniel's Prophecy, to which we have already referred in connec- 
tion with the other Universal States, comes to its completion in 
this last Universal Empire — Babylon, the head of gold; Medo- 
Persia, the arms and breast of silver ; Greece, the body and thighs 
of brass ; Rome, the legs of iron representing in the two limbs the 
Western and Eastern Empires ; and the ten toes the ten states of 
these two general divisions. 

Greece and Rome are the two great nations of antiquity. 
Greece developed rapidly a brilliant civilization that has been called 
the enigma of Providence. Rome developed more slowly and 
represented an altogether different development. Greece was the 
representative of the intellectual order, Rome, of the social order. 
While Greece by her philosophy, art and literature has exerted a 
profound influence upon modern thought, Rome is supreme in the 
realm of law and government. 

Historically Rome occupies a larger place than Greece, and is 
in herself of grander proportions. "Her history," says Matson 
"is marked by a sure growth to greatness and to power. If less 
ideal than Greece, she is more practical ; if less versatile, she is 
more stable. In all her history she is constantly gaining, and her 
gains add to her power and glory. Mighty and victorious in war, 
she grows to a vast empire. Her wisdom is in her laws and their 
administration. Into her bosom, as into a vast receptacle, flows 
whatever constitutes the riches and wisdom of the ancient world." 

A state so great in deeds, and affecting so profoundly the fu- 

54 



THE ANCIENT ERA 55 

ture of mankind, furnishes unusual opportunities for the writer 
of historical fiction, and, as we shall see, these opportunities have 
been grasped and appreciated. 

Historical Outline 

I. The First Period, B. C. 509-367. 

Full Political Rights of the Plebeians. 
The Formulation of Roman Laws. 

The Twelve Tables. 

The Valerio-Horatian Laws. 

The Licinian Laws. 

II. The Second Period, 367-264. Conquest of Italy. 

1. End of the Etruscan Power. 

2. The Samnite Wars. 

The First, 343"34L 
The Second, 326-304. 
The Third, 298-290. 

3. War With Tarentum and Pyrrhus, 282-272. 

III. The Third Period, 264-146. The Punic Wars. 

1. The First Punic War, 264-241. 

2. The Second Punic War, 218-201. 

3. The Third Punic War, 149-146. 

IV. The Fourth Period, 131 -31. Decline and Fall of the 

[Republic. 

1. From the War in Sicily to the Death of Sulla, 133-78. 

Period of the Gracchi. 

War with Jugurtha, King of Numidia, 111-106. 

War with the Cimbri and Teutones, 113-101. 

War with Mithridates, 88-84. 

Sulla and his Constitution. 

2. From the Death of Sulla to the End of the Republic, 

78-31- 

a. To the First Triumvirate, 78-60. 

War with and Death of Mithridates, 74-63. 
Catiline's Conspiracy, 64-62. 
The First Triumvirate: Caesar, Pompey 
Crassus. 

b. To the Second Triumvirate, 60-43. 

Caesar's Gallic Wars. 

Caesar's Conquests ; Defeat of Pompey. 



56 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Death of Caesar, 44. 

The Second Triumvirate: Octavius, Antony, 
Lepidus. 
c. Last Years of the Republic, 43-31. 

Brutus and Cassius Defeated at Philippi, 42. 

Antony and Cleopatra. 

Battle of Actium, Antony and Cleopatra De- 
feated by Octavius, 31. 

End of the Republic. 

Mithridates and Spartacus 

The Social War (B. C. 91-89) arose from the demands of the 
Italian allies for full Roman citizenship. These allies consisted 
of the peoples conquered by the Romans but did not share the 
rights of citizenship as did those who inhabited the capital. While 
this war was still in progress a new danger threatened Rome in 
the ambitions of Mithridates, king of Pontus. He became master 
of Asia Minor and issued a decree that every Italian in Asia on a 
certain day should be slain, which order was fulfilled. He then 
entered Greece and secured the alliance of the Greek cities against 
Rome. Sulla at the head of the Roman forces defeated Mithri- 
dates, but after the death of Sulla in B. C. 78, he raised another 
army with the determination of driving the Romans from Asia. 
Defeated by Lucullus, he was compelled to seek refuge in Ar- 
menia. But in B. C. 6y he was victorious and recovered the larger 
part of his dominions. Pompey, having control of the East, was 
commissioned to conduct the war against Mithridates. He com- 
pletely defeated and routed his forces near the Euphrates. Rather 
than fall into the hands of the Romans, he killed himself and 
thus was removed one of Rome's greatest enemies. 

During this same period occurred the conflict with pirates who 
infested the sea. Thousands of people who had been ruined by 
war, proscriptions, confiscations, became desperate and banded 
themselves together into a sort of pirate state. They preyed upon 
the commerce of the seas and sought refuge in fortified places 
they had built. They controlled an immense fleet, and dockyards 
and naval supply stations. They committed all sorts of depreda- 
tions. Pompey was commissioned to clear the seas of piracy. To 
this end he was furnished a force of 120,000 men and 200 ships. 



THE ANCIENT ERA 57 

Within a remarkably brief period he had driven piracy from the 
seas and captured their fortresses. 

It was during the Third Mithridatic War that Rome con- 
fronted a new danger in the person of Spartacus the gladiator. 
Compelled to serve in the army, he deserted and placed himself 
at the head of a band of robbers. He was captured and placed in 
a gladiatorial school at Capua, where men were trained in the 
art of fighting and used for public exhibitions. Spartacus formed 
a conspiracy with two hundred other slaves, who made good their 
escape and gathered thousands of other gladiators and disaffected 
slaves from every quarter. They completely defeated four Ro- 
man armies sent against them, and controlled a large part of 
Southern Italy. In this situation Crassus, at the head of an 
army, trapped Spartacus and his force near Rhegium. The latter 
was defeated and Spartacus was slain in the battle. 

The Stories 
Prusias. 1882. Ernst Eckstein 

The author (1845-1901) was born at Giessen, Germany. His 
first contributions to literature were made in France. Several 
stories resulted from his travels in Spain and Italy. For several 
years he was the editor of a literary journal in Leipzig, also a 
comic weekly. He was a brilliant humorist and produced many 
sketches of this order. 

Three historical events enter into this story, Prusias — the 
Mithridatic War, the conflict with Spartacus, and the Spanish 
uprising. Prusias is employed as a tutor in a home at Capua, 
where the gladiatorial school was established, and in which Spar- 
tacus was confined. Prusias is made the agent of Mithridates, 
and is betrayed by the woman who exercises her wiles as the plots 
and intrigues are created. Spartacus in his daring scheme plays 
an important part. 

Two Thousand Years Ago. 1885. Alfred J. Church 

This story deals with this same period, the time of the Social 
and Civil War. The historical sketch has stated the leading occur- 
rences of the time relative to Spartacus, the conflict with the pi- 
rates and the defeat of Mithridates. The story relates the experi- 
ences of a Roman youth, who is cast into this maelstrom of events. 



58 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Julius Caesar 

When Gaius Julius Caesar (100-44) came upon the stage of 
action the Roman Republic was rapidly approaching its end. 
Ambitious leaders had control of the government. Caesar, Cras- 
sus and Pompey formed the First Triumvirate. In this coalition 
each agreed to contribute to the interests of the other two in this 
joint enterprise of securing the control of public affairs. The 
conspiracy of Catiline had failed, exposed by Cicero, but from 
the crumbling state of the Republic it was clear that its days were 
numbered. 

Given the right to conquer Gaul, Caesar, with four legions of 
soldiers, embarked upon the military career that was destined to 
make him master of the Roman world. He spent nine years in 
Gaul and conducted nine campaigns: First, the defeat of the 
Helvetii. Second, the campaign against the Belgae, the defeat of 
four allied tribes. Third, the total defeat of the Venetii. Fourth, 
defeat of two German tribes, who invaded Gaul. Fifth, invasion 
and nominal subjugation of Britain. Sixth, subjugation of revolt- 
ing Gallic tribes. Seventh, defeat of Vercingetorix, who headed 
a revolt of the Gallic nations. Eighth and ninth, the final subju- 
gation of all Gaul. 

In the meantime Pompey had joined the senatorial party 
against Caesar, which secured a decree ordering the disbanding 
of Caesar's army. The latter at the head of his legions at once 
crossed the Rubicon and marched toward Rome. As he crossed 
the stream he exclaimed, 'The die is cast." Pompey and the 
senate fled to Greece. Within a few weeks' time Caesar was 
master of Italy. Entering Greece he defeated Pompey in the battle 
of Pharsalia( B. C. 48), and was appointed dictator of Rome. 

In the Alexandrian War which followed he placed Cleopatra, 
the last of the Ptolemies, on the throne of Egypt. Passing through 
Pontus he defeated Pharnaces, son of Mithridates, and sent to 
Rome the announcement of the victory in the three words, Veni, 
Vidi, Vici — "I came, I saw, I conquered." 

After his great achievements, at a public festival, he was of- 
fered the crown which he refused. He was made dictator for life 
by the senate with the title Pontifex Maximus and Imperator, 
and, while not king, had vested in him absolute rulership. These 
distinctions he did not long enjoy. On the 15th of March of the 



THE ANCIENT ERA 59 

year in which these honors were conferred upon him, in the senate 
hall, he fell under twenty-three dagger thrusts of assassins among 
whom was Brutus, upon whom he had bestowed gifts and favors. 
At the head of Pompey's statue fell the greatest man their race 
had brought forth, or would ever again produce. 

Caesar has been called the greatest Roman. In his thought 
lay the Roman Empire rising out of the wreck of the Republic. 
He was the architect, the designer ; his successors reared the struc- 
ture. The greatness of Caesar found expression in four ways : 
as a general, statesman, orator and writer. As warrior and states- 
man he was the representative of Rome, and "the first creative 
spirit of the Roman Empire." 

The Stories 

Marcus, the Young Centurion. 1904. George Man- 

ville Fenn 

The author (1 831 -1909), who was also an English journalist, 
was born at Westminster. He was a contributor to various jour- 
nals — Chamber's Journal, Star, Once a Week. In 1870 he became 
editor of CasselVs Magazine and three years later the proprietor 
of Once a Week. His extensive writings of boy's stories have had 
a wide circulation in many countries, being widely read in the 
United States. 

The historical setting of this story is the Gallic War as outlined 
above in the historical sketch. A young Roman is visited by Ju- 
lius Caesar, and a portrayal of the great general and statesman 
is given. The young Roman participates in Caesar's Gallic War, 
and the part he plays is set forth. 

A Friend of Caesar. 1900. William Stearns Davis 

This story in its historical scope takes us through the period of 
Caesar's conquests from the crossing of the Rubicon and the bat- 
tle of Pharsalia to the closing days of the Republic. Cleopatra is 
introduced into the story. In these situations it describes the 
adventures of Quintus Drusus, the Roman nobleman. 

Cleopatra (B. C. 69-30), queen of Egypt and the last of the 
Ptolemies, was made, by her father, joint heir to the throne with 
her brother. Deprived of her share in the government she ap- 



60 HISTORICAL FICTION 

pealed to Caesar and through him secured her rights. She sided 
with the triumvirs in the civil war at Rome, and after the battle of 
Philippi she met Antony at Tarsus. Falling a victim to her charms 
he forgot Rome and spent his time in her company and at her festi- 
vals and entertainments. In the battle of Actium she fled with her 
ships and Antony followed her. Under a false report that she 
was dead Antony slew himself. Failing to fascinate Octavius as 
she did Antony, and fearing that he intended to carry her to Rome, 
she killed herself by placing upon her breast a poisonous asp. 

The great Roman general and statesman, Julius Caesar, is a 
conspicuous character in many English and European plays, the 
chief of which is Shakespeare's. It cannot be said that the bard 
of Stratford has done justice to this great soul. The following 
extract is from the criticism of Max Beerbolm: "He (Caesar) 
appears merely as a subordinate figure, with very little time to 
disport himself on the stage. Our notions of the real Caesar is 
a notion of such awe, he looms so largely over us that we could 
not possibly be illuded by a stage-figure of him unless it were a 
central and dominant figure, elaborately created. Also, we think of 
Caesar always as a man of enormous power, a conqueror, a bender 
of wills ; whereas here he is presented as a purely passive figure in 
the hands of fate and of a few men who disliked him. Histor- 
ically this presentment of him is right enough, but dramatically 
it is no good at all." 



CHAPTER VII 

THE ROMAN EMPIRE 

Following the battle of Philippi in which Brutus and Cassius 
were defeated (B. C. 42), the Roman world was in the hands of 
two men — Antony in the East and Octavius in the West. Daz- 
zled, as was Julius Caesar, by the beauty of Cleopatra, Antony 
surrendered himself to the Egyptian queen, forsaking his wife 
Octavia. When rumors reached Rome that it was Antony's pur- 
pose to make Alexandria the capital of the Roman Empire and 
place the son of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra upon the throne, 
Octavius was looked to by all parties to save the Empire and the 
sovereignty of Rome. The result was the battle of Actium (B. C. 
31), the crushing of Antony and Cleopatra and the end of the 
Republic. 

The battle of Actium brought to an end both the Republic and 
the hundred years of strife in the state. Out of the fragments of 
this great state is to be formed an Empire. It must have seemed 
an impossible task to gather up these broken elements and reor- 
ganize them into a new structure. And yet such a political fabric 
was created, and was to continue for another five hundred years. 

During this extended period Rome is to exercise her mighty 
power in the consummation of her mission. As a world-power the 
Roman Empire extended from the Atlantic to the Euphrates, a 
distance of more than three thousand miles, and from the Danube 
and the English Channel — later from the firths of Scotland — 
to the cataracts of the Nile and the African desert. Its population 
was somewhere from eighty to one hundred and twenty millions. 
Over all the Empire extended the system of Roman law, the rights 
and immunities of which belonged to Roman citizens everywhere. 
It was by this extension of Empire that Grecian culture became 
the common property of the nations, and thus the two great civili- 
zations carried their joint influence to the world at large. 

In her historic position Rome is most distinctive. No nation 
can ever be what Rome has been as the "mistress of the world." 

61 



52 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The Roman Empire was practically the world of its time. "What- 
ever was outside of it was out of relation to it, so as scarce to be 
considered as a part of the historic world." 

Regarding the greatness of this political structure Merivale's 
statement is worthy of note : "The establishment of the Roman 
Empire was, after all, the greatest political work that any human 
being ever wrought. The achievements of Alexander, of Caesar, 
of Charlemagne, of Napoleon are not to be compared with it for 
a moment." 

The following extended list of stories based upon the Roman 
Empire will indicate in what manner the writers of historical fic- 
tion found in this period of the Roman state a rich field for this 
department of literature. 

I. PERIOD OF EXPANSION 

From Augustus to Trajan 

Historical Outline 

i. Augustus (Octavius), B. C. 31-A. D. 14. 
Period of universal peace. 
Birth and boyhood of Jesus. 

2. Tiberius, A. D. 14-37. 

Pilate, governor of Judea. 
Ministry and death of Jesus. 

3. Caligula, 37-41. 

4. Claudius, 41-54. 

Subjugation of Britain. 

5. Nero, 54-68. 

Introduction and spread of Christianity. 

Burning of Rome, 64. 

Beginning of the persecution of the Christians. 

6. Galba to Vitellius, 68-69. 

7. Vespasian, 69-79. 

Destruction of Jerusalem, 70. 

8. Titus, 79-81. 

Destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum. 

9. Domitian, 81-96. 

Extension of the Empire in Britain by Agricola. 

10. Nerva, 96-98. 

11. Trajan, 98-117. 



THE ANCIENT ERA 63 

The Augustan Age 

The Roman Empire was in its infancy when occurred the 
greatest event in human history — the advent of Jesus Christ. The 
internal strife during the last century of the Republic had re- 
duced Rome to such a state that its dissolution rather than its 
continuance might be more easily conceived. It was by the wis- 
dom and strength of Augustus that she was raised from a state of 
weakness to the might of the Empire. By his measures the prov- 
inces arose from the unsettledness that prevailed to a condition 
of security and improvement and were given a strong civil service. 

The one outstanding fact of this period of forty-five years — 
the reign of Augustus — was the remarkable state of peace that 
prevailed throughout the Empire. The gates of the temple of 
Janus were open in times of war and closed in times of peace. 
Prior to this era they were open, but now they were closed. In- 
stead of the clash of arms, literature and art flourished. It was 
the Golden Age of Latin literature. Vergil composed his im- 
mortal epic, Horace his celebrated odes, Livy his history and Ovid 
his Metamorphoses. 

It was in the midst of this happy state of things when all the 
world was at peace, that Christ, the Prince of Peace, was born 
in Bethlehem of Judea. "The event," says Meyer, "was unher- 
alded at Rome ; yet it was filled with profound significance, not 
only for the Roman Empire, but for the world." 

The Stories 

Vergilius. 1904. Irving Bacheller 

The author (1859-) was Dorn at Pierpont, N. Y. Following 
his graduation from Saint Lawrence University he was connected 
with various papers — the Daily Hotel Reporter of New York, the 
Brooklyn Times, and the New York World. By the means of a 
syndicate he also secured material for magazines. Three of his 
novels had their setting near his early home, the best known of 
which is Eben Holden. 

The central interest of Vergilius is the advent of Jesus. Au- 
gustus favors the young Roman patrician, Vergilius. On a mission 
to Rome he learns that the great Messianic event is expected and 
awaited with deep interest. Antipater, the son of Herod the 
Great, and Salome are introduced into the story. 



64 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Doris, the mother of Antipater, the first wife of Herod, was 
cast off, then recalled and finally robbed of her wealth and ban- 
ished. Antipater hated his father, both for himself and his treat- 
ment of his mother. He laid plots for Herod's assassination. 
Augustus left the sentence of Antipater in the hands of his father. 
Five days before Herod's death he had his son executed. 

Ben Hur. 1880. Lew Wallace 

The author (1827-1905) was born in Brookville, Ind. He re- 
ceived a common school education and began the study of law, 
which he practiced at intervals in Crawfordsville, Ind. He par- 
ticipated in the Mexican War with the rank of lieutenant. He was 
a member of the Indiana state legislature in 1848. At the outbreak 
of the Civil War he entered the service as colonel of an Indiana 
regiment, was appointed brigadier general in 1861, and for dis- 
tinguished services at Fort Donelson was made major general. 
In 1878 he was elected governor of New Mexico, and in 1881 
was appointed minister to Turkey. 

Ben Hur, a Tale of the Christ, covers the last third of the reign 
of Augustus and the large part of that of Tiberius. In a general 
way it describes the struggle between Rome and Judaism by means 
of the conflict between two individuals, a Roman and a Jew. Ben 
Hur is of a noble family in Jerusalem. His false friend, Messala, 
unjustly seeks his downfall by charging him with the attempt to 
murder the Roman governor. He suffers the loss of his posses- 
sions and is sent to the galleys. His bravery in defending his gal- 
ley against robbers results in his being adopted by Arrius the 
tribune. He defeats Messala, who was a Roman patrician, in a 
chariot race. Messala vents his hatred on Ben Hur because he is 
a Jew, but keeps it concealed until by a favorable opportunity he is 
able to betray him, and then steals his wealth. The person and 
work of Christ are set forth. He cures of leprosy the mother and 
sister of Ben Hur and the latter becomes a Christian. 

Jesus of Nazareth. 1908. S. C. Bradley 

As in the case of Ben Hur this story belongs to the reign of 
Augustus and that of Tiberius. The first period of the life of 
Christ extends to the time of his public inauguration at his bap- 



THE ANCIENT ERA 65 

tism, the second, his ministry. The New Testament gives us but 
one glimpse of the boyhood of Jesus, the scene in the temple. 

This story, Jesus of Nazareth, invests what has been called 
"the years of silence" with such events and scenes in which the 
imagination would paint our Lord's life in his home in Nazareth. 

Reign of Tiberius 

In his twenty-eighth year Tiberius became consul and was 
afterwards adopted by Augustus as his heir. His mother, Livia 
Drusilla, became the wife of Augustus. Tiberius was characterized 
by a tyrannical and suspicious nature. He retired to the island of 
Capri and spent his time in self-indulgence. Spies kept him in- 
formed of what went on in Rome, and many innocent persons 
were the victims of his tyranny and suspicions. It was during 
his reign that Jesus was crucified. The peaceful era of Augustus 
had passed away. 

The Stories 
Psyche. 1905. Walter S. Cramp 

When Tiberius retired from Rome he appointed Sejanus as 
the commander of the praetorian guards. He was a man of cor- 
rupt character. In his hands was left the management of the 
affairs of Rome. He put to death Drusus, the son of Tiberius, 
and planned the death of the emperor so as to accomplish his de- 
signs in securing the throne. Tiberius had him executed. 

This love-romance, Psyche, deals with the time of Tiberius 
and introduces Sejanus, also Nero and his mother Agrippina, who 
was the fourth wife of Claudius ; Drusus, and Caligula, the suc- 
cessor of Tiberius, also appear in the story. 

Neaera. 1886. John W. Graham 

The island of Capri lies in the Gulf of Naples, being five miles 
long and two miles wide. It was here that Tiberius spent the 
last seven years of his life. The ruins of his palace are still to be 
seen. The island contains a wonderful cavern called the Blue 
Grotto. In this retreat Tiberius lived a dissolute life. It was 
here that he received reports of all that happened in Rome, and 
from here he issued his edicts involving the death of many people. 



66 HISTORICAL FICTION 

This story, Neaera, gives a portrayal of Apicius, Sejanus the 
prefect of Tiberius, and other historical personages. A centurion 
falls in love with a beautiful girl, who is discovered finally to be 
an heiress. Another woman loves the centurion, whose jealousy 
and general vileness are exhibited in the plot to have the girl car- 
ried away to Capri. In this connection the story describes the 
natural beauty of the island and the vileness and criminality asso- 
ciated with this historic place. 

Emmanuel: The Story of the Messiah. 1889. William 
Forbes Cooley 

The New Testament furnishes the data for this story, present- 
ing, as it does, the life of Jesus in the Training of the Twelve. 
Thomas, who called peculiar attention to himself by doubting the 
declaration of the other disciples relative to the resurrection of 
Jesus, is given special notice. The story is a delineation and in- 
terpretation of motives and conduct as set forth in the history of 
Jesus in these human relations. 

Under Pontius Pilate. 1906. William Schuyler 

The record of Christ's ministry is given in the form of a cor- 
respondence between Caius Claudius Proculus and Lucius Domit- 
ius Ahenobarbus. The recorder of these events is the nephew of 
Pontius Pilate. He is converted to Christianity. One of the chief 
characters of the work is Mary Magdalene. 

A Son of Issachar. 1890. Elbridge S. Brooks 

There is much that supports the view that Judas Iscariot, hein- 
ous as was his betrayal of Jesus, had no idea that his act would 
involve the death of his Master. He had seen him before in con- 
flicts with the Jewish authorities and he escaped unharmed. His 
mercenary instincts grasped at the opportunity of winning thirty 
pieces of silver. 

The two leading characters of this romance are the betrayer of 
Jesus and the son of the widow of Nain, whom Jesus raised to 
life (Lu. 7:12-15). In this story the author puts forth much 
effort in the analysis of the motives of Judus and in working up 



THE ANCIENT ERA 67 

a case in their defence. It involves intrigues and revolts against 
the Romans and Herod. 

The Court of Pilate. 1906. Roe R. Hobbs 

The author (1871-) resides in Louisville, Ky. He is also the 
author of Zaos and Gates of Flame and is a contributor to maga- 
zines. 

Pontius Pilate, the fifth procurator of Judea, was a narrow- 
minded man lacking force of character. He created disturbances 
among the Jews at the beginning of his governorship. The Jews, 
having no power to inflict capital punishment, when they con- 
demned Jesus to death they brought him to Pilate for the execu- 
tion of their sentence. He found no fault in Jesus, but fearing 
for his position among the Jews yielded to their demands. In 
A. D. 36 Vitellius, prefect of Syria, removed him from office. Ac- 
cording to Eusebius he committed suicide. He was a weak char- 
acter, aspiring to public office and craving distinction. 

These facts and those pertaining to the Jews under Roman 
authority are set forth in this story. Under these political stric- 
tures the Jewish animosity is accentuated. This conflicting situa- 
tion is represented by the love of two women, one a Jewess and 
the other a Roman, for a centurion under Pontius Pilate. 

Herodias. 1877. Gustave Flaubert 

Herod Antipas was the son of Herod the Great by his wife 
Malthace. When his father died he was appointed tetrarch of 
Galilee. Readers of the Gospels will recognize this Antipas as 
the Herod who put to death John the Baptist at the request of 
Herodias, his unlawful wife, because of John's condemnation of 
that marriage. She had not forgotten the great preacher's de- 
nunciation. At the time of the trial of Jesus, Antipas was in 
Jerusalem, and Pilate, to whom Jesus was sent by the Jewish 
officials, saw a way out of his dilemma by sending Jesus to Herod 
when he learned that Jesus was a Galilean. Herod Antipas was 
accused of plotting with the Parthians ; he was called to Rome and 
was banished to Gaul, where he died (A. D. 39). 

These historical facts constitute the setting of Flaubert's story, 
Herodias. 



68 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Barabbas. 1893. Marie Corelli 

This English novelist (1864-) was born in Italy, but received 
her education in England and France. In her childhood she was 
adopted by Charles Mackay as his daughter, Minnie Mackay. In 
1886 appeared her first work, The Romance of Two Worlds. 
Thelma, Sorrows of Satan, The Master Christian and Barabbas 
are widely read. 

According to the account in the Gospels Barabbas was guilty 
of sedition and murder, and being a rebel came under the con- 
demnation of Roman law. As a murderer he was answerable to 
the civil code. It being the custom at the Passover season to 
extend pardon to a criminal, when the proposition was made to 
the Jews whether it be Jesus or Barabbas who should receive this 
clemency, so great was their enmity toward Jesus that they chose 
Barabbas. 

The interest in Marie Corelli's story gathers about the last 
scenes in the life of Jesus — the betrayal by Judas and the cruci- 
fixion. The author has given us an analysis of the motives of 
both Judas and Barabbas. 

Saul of Tarsus. 1906. Elizabeth Miller 

Following the death of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, 
persecution drove the Christian disciples from Jerusalem. In 
their dispersion the truths of the gospel were carried into many 
parts. 

Saul was a native of Tarsus, a city of Cilicia. He was of 
Jewish descent, of the tribe of Benjamin. In some way, through 
his father, he possessed the rights of Roman citizenship, and, as 
Lardner supposes, through some service that had been rendered 
by some ancestor to the Roman state. Tarsus was the rival of 
Alexandria in matters of philosophy and learning, and no doubt 
Saul had come under these intellectual influences. 

In Jerusalem he became a student under the great Jewish 
teacher Gamaliel in the prosecution of his studies in the learning 
of the Jews. He is first brought to our notice by the New Testa- 
ment historian in connection with the martyrdom of Stephen. A 
zealous Jew, and believing that Christians were a menace to Juda- 
ism, he accepted a commission to arrest all such and bring them 



THE ANCIENT ERA 69 

as prisoners to Jerusalem. It was while on his way to Damas- 
cus that he was miraculously converted to Christianity, and the 
inquisitor became the great Apostle to the Gentiles. 

In this story, Saul of Tarsus, four great cities figure — Rome, 
Alexandria, Jerusalem and Damascus. They all sustain a vital 
relation to the early days of Christianity. The preaching of the 
Gospel began at Jerusalem ; in Alexandria Christianity came into 
conflict with Paganism; in Rome began the persecution of the 
Church ; at Damascus Saul became a convert to the new faith. 

These facts are given place in this story, with Saul of Tarsus 
the prominent character. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, and 
such historical characters as Tiberius, Caligula, Agrippa and 
Herod also appear. Also, Mary of Magdala, called Magdalene, 
probably because of the town Magdala in Galilee, where she is 
supposed to have lived. This Mary has been mistakenly identi- 
fied with the Mary who anointed the feet of Jesus in the house 
of Simon, who is described as a "sinner." There is no good 
ground for the identification of Mary Magdalene with this Mary. 

Reign of Claudius 

Claudius followed Caligula upon the throne. One important 
governmental change under him was the admission of Gallic nobles 
to the senate. In B. C. 55 Julius Caesar invaded Britain, defeated 
the British chief Cassivelannus and laid the people under tribute 
to Rome. For about one hundred years they were left unmolested. 
But in A. D. 43 Claudius conquered the south of Britain and made 
it a Roman province. The demand for gladiatorial contests sig- 
nalized this period and Claudius gratified it by a naval battle in 
which 19,000 gladiators participated. His fourth wife was Agrip- 
pina, who poisoned him with mushrooms so as to bring her son 
Nero to the throne. 

The Stories 

The Crown of Pine. 1905. Alfred J. Church 

Corinth was situated on the isthmus which joins Peloponnesus 
to the continent of Greece. It was destroyed by order of the Ro- 
man senate B. C. 146. The Corinth of New Testament times was 
rebuilt by Caesar as a Roman colony and attained to wealth and 



70 HISTORICAL FICTION 

luxury, and with other Grecian cities was distinguished for its 
immorality. It was here that the Isthmian Games were held. 
While in this city St. Paul lived with Aquila and Priscilla, who, 
like him, were tent-makers. He preached in the Jewish syna- 
gogue and wrote, while here, the two epistles to the Thessalonians, 
which were his first epistles. On two other occasions he visited 
this city. 

This story deals with the two centers, Rome and Corinth, dur- 
ing this time. Paul and his evangelical labors figure in the story. 
The Isthmian Games are introduced. They were so-called be- 
cause they were celebrated on the Isthmus of Corinth. They 
consisted of such exercises as foot, horse and chariot racing, box- 
ing and wrestling. They occurred the first and third year of each 
Olympiad. The victorious participants were awarded wreathes 
of pine leaves. 

The White Shield. 1904. Caroline A. Mason 

Galatia was the ancient name of an extended region in Asia 
Minor, so-called from the Gallic inhabitants who lived between 
Paphlagonia, Pontus, Cappodocia, Lyconia, Phrygia and Bythnia. 
Under Augustus it became a Roman province. The Apostle Paul 
twice visited this region and addressed one of his letters to the 
Galatian people warning them against Judaizing teachers. 

In B. C. 36 Amyntas received from Antony a large cession of 
territory, Galatia with parts of Lyconia and Pamphylia, and at 
the battle of Actium (B. C. 31) he was supported by Amyntas and 
Polemon. Polemon II was the ruler of Pontus A. D. 37-63, his 
mother Tryphaena being associated with him until the year 54. 

Christianity was introduced into Iconium by Paul and Barna- 
bas. The region was again visited by Paul on his second mission- 
ary journey. Associated with these visits is the legend of St. 
Thekla. As it has come down to us the legend was composed by 
a presbyter of Asia and has probably some historical basis. "It 
rightly traces St. Paul's journey from Pisidian Antioch along the 
Royal Road that connected Antioch, the military center, with the 
garrison city, Lystra, relating how on the way he was induced by 
Onesiphorus (who was with Paul during his imprisonment in 
Rome and rendered him special service) to diverge from that road 
and go across the hill country to Iconium. It tells that Queen 



THE. ANCIENT ERA 71 

Tryphaina (of Pontus) had estates somewhere in this neighbor- 
hood; and this may well be true as she was granddaughter of 
Polemon, who formerly possessed Iconium. It rightly makes 
her a relative of the Roman Emporor, Claudius." 

This story, The White Shield, is based upon this legend in 
which Thekla is associated with St. Paul and the Queen Tryphaina. 
The leading historical characters are Paul, Onesiphorus, Try- 
phaina, the Roman governor of Galatia and Thekla, the daughter 
of Theokleia of Iconium. Persecution drives Thekla from Ico- 
nium to Antioch, where she is again condemned but is saved from 
death. Tryphaina, the queen, becomes an expounder of the truths 
of Christianity. 

Pomponia. 1867. Mrs. J. B.Webb 

It was through his generals, Plautius and Vespasian, that Clau- 
dius subjugated the southern part of Britain, which they called 
Britannia. Agricola was the first of the Roman generals who had 
been in Britain who in any measure reconciled the people to Roman 
rule. He sailed around the island and discovered the Orkneys. 
He was the father-in-law of Tacitus, who wrote his biography in 
which is given an excellent account of Roman rule in Britain. 

This story, Pomponia, covers the period from the Roman con- 
quest of Britain to the Neronian persecution of the Christians. 
The work of Plautius in the subjugation of the southern part of 
the country is set forth. It describes the crimes of Claudius, who 
was poisoned by his wife Agrippina. Nero, the son of Agrippina, 
as emperor, and also Poppaea, enter into the events. Pomponia 
is brought to trial. The burning of Rome, A. D. 64, the deed 
charged up to the Christians by Nero to divert suspicion from 
himself, and his merciless persecution of them, are set forth. 

A Story of Ancient Wales. 1900. Miss H. Elrington 

The Druids were the priests of the early Gauls and Britons. 
The orgin of their religion is unknown. The best description we 
have of them is that by Julius Caesar. Circles of stone, open to 
the heavens, constituted their temple. Immense ruins still found 
in Britain are supposed to be remains of their temples. They 
were fire-worshipers, and criminals and prisoners were often 
offered by them in sacrifice. Whenever mistletoe, which was held 



J2 HISTORICAL FICTION 

in veneration, was found twining about an oak, which was also 
held sacred, a festival was held around the tree and a sacrifice 
offered. Their influence over the people was very great. They 
were the teachers of the people, acted as judges and settled dis- 
putes. From the time of the Roman conquest their influence be- 
gan to cease. 

For seven years after the conquest of Britain by Claudius the 
southern Britains defended themselves in the woods and marshes 
against the Romans. In this they were greatly stimulated by their 
priests, the Druids. But in the year 50 their great chief Caracta- 
cus, was taken prisoner to Rome, and the Romans reaching the 
isle of Anglesey, then called Mona, massacred the Druids in their 
stronghold. 

The scene of this story is laid in Wales in the region of Ches- 
ter. It deals with the exploits of the chieftain Caractacus, his 
capture by the Romans and carried to Rome. It gives a good de- 
scription of the inhuman treatment of those who were physically 
defective by the Druids, who offered these unfortunates in sacri- 
fice. 

Reign of Nero 

Nero was the son of Cneius Domitius Ahenobarbus and Agrip- 
pina. The latter, the sister of Caligula, was later the fourth wife 
of Claudius. That Nero became "one of the most tyrannical and 
licentious wretches that ever lived" is a perfectly just judgment 
of his character. He not only murdered most of his principal 
subjects, but also his mother. It was to Nero that Paul demanded 
the right to make his appeal in his conflict with the Jews at Jeru- 
salem and when brought before Agrippa. This was prior to the 
persecution of the Christians as Paul's imprisonment at Rome for 
two years terminated the year before the burning of Rome. 

In the year A. D. 64 a fire broke out near the circus where 
the Jews had their shops which swept the metropolis of the world 
into a vast heap of ruins. Only four of the fourteen "regions" 
of the city escaped. It was stated that Nero, a spectator of the 
conflagration, had declaimed over it a poem on the burning of 
Troy. That he was the incendiary, through the tools he employed, 
was firmly believed at the time. The enraged people demanded 
a victim and, as Tacitus says, Nero falsely charged the Christians 



THE ANCIENT ERA 73 

with the crime. Then followed a carnival of bloodshed such as 
Rome had never yet seen. The most unspeakable tortures were 
invented. Those w r ho were crucified no doubt suffered less than 
those who were torn to pieces by animals, and others covered with 
pitch and hung up in Nero's gardens and set afire as night torches. 
Thus began the persecution of the Christian Church that was to 
continue for decades to the time of Diocletian. Under the Nero- 
nian persecution the two great apostles, St. Paul and St. Peter, 
were among the many martyrs of the early Church. 

The Stories 
Quo Vadis? 1895. Henryk Sienkiewicz 

This Polish author (1846-) was educated at the University of 
Warsaw. He wrote descriptions of his visit to California, a drama 
and a number of short stories. Then appeared The Tartar Bond- 
age, With Fire and Sword, and others. His fame, already estab- 
lished, was greatly increased by the publication of Quo Vadis. It 
became immensely popular and several dramatic versions of it 
were produced. 

This story is a representation of Roman life in the early days 
of Christianity in which are contrasted the immorality of Pagan- 
ism and the purity of the Christian religion. The life of the 
Court and the simple life of the Christians are portrayed. The 
horrors attending the burning of Rome are graphically described, 
and the still greater subsequent horrors of the persecution of the 
Christians. The repulsiveness of Nero's character is portrayed. 
The luxury loving Pretronius is one of the leading characters. 
He was regarded at Nero's court as an arbiter in questions of taste 
and for a long time possessed the highest favor of the Emperor. 
His death was in keeping with his life. Implicated in the Pisonian 
conspiracy he decided to destroy himself. His veins were opened, 
following the banquet he gave his friends, and while the blood 
flowed he talked with the company on frivolous subjects. Lygia, 
a beautiful Christian girl, living in the home of a Roman noble, 
foils the immoral attempts of Vinicius, one of the emperor's 
guards, who denounces her as a Christian. Her rescue by the 
giant Ursus in the amphitheater is one of the great scenes of the 
work. Vinicius is converted by the preaching of St. Paul and St. 
Peter and becomes the husband of Lygia. 



74 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Darkness and Dawn. 1892. Frederick W. Farrar 

This English preacher, teacher and writer (i 831 -1903) was 
born at Bombay, India. He was educated at the University of 
London and at Trinity College. Under his management as head 
master Marlborough College became one of the great schools of 
England. His other distinctions consisted of being chaplain of 
the House of Commons and dean of Canterbury. As a writer he 
is the author of philological and biographical works, two of which 
are widely read — Life of Christ and Life of Saint Paul. His 
works of fiction, together with those noted, have had a distinctively 
religious influence upon the reading public. 

Seneca, the teacher of Nero, says of the moral state of Rome, 
"All things are full of iniquity and vice. More crimes are com- 
mitted than can be remedied by force. A monstrous contest of 
wickedness is carried on. Daily the lust of sin increases ; daily the 
sense of shame diminishes. Casting away all regard for what is 
good and honorable, pleasure runs riot without restraint. Vice no 
longer hides itself, it stalks forth before all eyes. So public has 
iniquity become, so mightily does it flame up in all our hearts, that 
innocence is no longer rare : it has ceased to exist." Opposed to 
this moral corruption stood the Christian doctrines of purity and 
righteousness ; in the midst of this spiritual darkness shined forth 
the light of the world in the teachings of Jesus and as exemplified 
by his followers. 

The author in Darkness and Dawn sets forth these two con- 
tending forces distinguishing their essential elements, and the 
necessary consequences attending each as displayed in the life of 
their advocates and in their political relations. 

Glaucia: The Greek Slave. 1904. Emma Leslie 

Of the visit of St. Paul to Athens we have but a scant record. 
Undoubtedly one of the greatest sermons of the apostle was the 
one delivered on Mars Hill of which we have but a brief report. 
One of the leading facts of the account is that Dionysius the 
Areopagite, together with a woman by the name of Damaris, were 
converted to Christianity by this sermon. This is the only refer- 
ence to Dionysius in the New Testament. From Suidas we learn 
that he was an Athenian and a man of distinct literary attainments, 



THE ANCIENT ERA 75 

having studied both at Athens and Heliopolis in Egypt; that 
returning to Athens he was admitted into the Aeropagus, the 
Council on Mars Hill, which sat in judgment on vice in various 
forms, as also virtuous conduct, and was especially concerned with 
blasphemies against the gods. "It was with the greatest propriety 
that Paul was questioned before this tribunal. Whether or not 
the apostle was criminally arraigned, as a setter forth of strange 
gods, before the tribunal, which held its sittings on the hill, may 
be considered as undetermined, though the balance of evidence 
seems to incline to the affirmative." 

It is also stated by Suidas that Dionysius was appointed 
Bishop of Athens by Paul, which fact is recorded by other eccle- 
siastical historians. 

In this story, Glaucia, Paul and the Aeropagite appear in the 
religious interests of the two great centers, Athens and Corinth, 
during the Neronian period. 

Nero. 1889. Ernst Eckstein 

We have already referred to the character of Nero and the 
moral depravity of the time. As one writer has said, "In shapes 
like Nero's, we can clearly perceive how thirst for blood went hand 
in hand with sensuality; and in the orgies of the age, as for 
instance in the great festivals which the prefect Tigellinus gave on 
an artificial island in the lake of Agrippa, the shamelessness was 
so conspicuous that the wildest carousals of later times do not 
offer even a resemblance. We know not which is the more shock- 
ing, the effrontery with which sensuality came forth, or the 
cunning with which it sought what was more and more unnatural." 

Into this story, Nero, enter the great events and relations of 
Nero's life. His mother, Agrippina, who poisoned her husband 
Claudius so as to place Nero on the throne, and whom Nero 
murdered, plays her part. Also Seneca, the Roman philosopher, 
Nero's teacher. He was very wealthy and Nero ordered him to 
take his life and then confiscated his estates. Nero's two wives, 
Octavia and Poppaea, and the f reedwoman Acte whom he loved, 
together with Tigellinus and others who entered into the history 
of this man who has been characterized as a combination of mud 
and genius, appear in the story. The story covers the period to 
his death, when, to escape arrest, he stabbed himself to death. 



76 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The Burning of Rome. 1892. Alfred J. Church 

We have already stated (see Quo Vadis) what has been the 
opinion regarding Nero's connection with this event. The fact 
that the fire broke out in the Jewish quarter suspicion might have 
been directed to that class. It is possible that the Jews, who so 
bitterly hated the Christians, managed to divert suspicion from 
themselves by fastening it upon the new sect. Whether Poppaea 
Sabina, Nero's consort, and the friend of the Jews, had any part 
in it, we cannot positively say. French historians try to make out 
a case by declaring that Poppaea had formed a plot against Nero's 
mistress Acte, whom they suppose to have been a Christian. The 
grounds for this assumption are wholly inadequate. 

In his last epistle, and among the last words he wrote, St. Paul 
sends his parting greeting to Eubulus, Pudens, Linus and Claudia 
(2 Tim. 4:21). Pudens and Claudia have been partly identified 
with the Pudens and Claudia of this story, The Burning of Rome. 
Claudia, the wife of Pudens, is a British princess. The story deals 
with Rome and Britain. It describes the burning of Rome which 
was followed by Nero's persecution of the Christians. It gives us 
a view of his domestic life relative to his wife Octavia, and his 
marriage with Poppaea. 

Boudicca (Boadicea). 1912. C. H. Dudley Ward 

Queen Boadicea, the widow of a British chief, was treated in 
such a dastardly manner by the Romans that she raised a revolt, 
and at the head of the British insurrectionists attacked the Roman 
settlements, destroyed London by fire and put to death 70,000 of 
the enemy. After the destruction of London, the Roman general, 
Suetonius, gained a decisive victory over Boadicea, and to escape 
falling into his hands she took poison. 

In Ward's story the British warrior queen is strongly portrayed. 
It deals with the injustice to which she was subjected, the insur- 
rection that followed, her defeat and death. 

Reign of Vespasian 

Nero was the last of the Julian line, and with his death the 
family of the great Caesar was now extinct. Nero committed 
suicide, A. D. 68. During this and the following year Galba, Otho 



THE ANCIENT ERA 77 

and Vitellius sat upon the throne, and were killed in those contests 
relative to their claims to sovereignty. The soldiers of Vespasian 
slew Vitellius and placed their commander upon the throne, whose 
reign was the beginning of the Flavian period (69-96). The ten 
years of his reign were occupied with great public interests in the 
imperial city and in military operations abroad, especially in 
Palestine. 

The Stories 
The Gladiators. 1863. George J. Whyte Melville 

The city of Jerusalem sustained seventeen sieges. Twice it 
was entirely destroyed. There is no city in the world whose soil 
has so often been drenched with the blood of its people. From 
the time of the restoration of the Jews by Cyrus (B. C. 536) to its 
destruction by Titus in A. D. 70 it had been held by Persians, 
Macedonians, Syrians, Egyptians and Romans. 

With an army of 60,000 trained soldiers, Titus, a Roman 
general under Vespasian, appeared before Jerusalem and began 
the most disastrous siege of history. It being the Passover season 
the city was crowded with people from all sections of the country 
which, according to some authorities, increased the inhabitants in 
the city to over a million. The Romans met with stout resistance. 
The city was cut off from all food supplies and was soon held in 
the grip of famine. Resistance was at last broken and Titus 
entered the city. Then was fulfilled the prophecy uttered by Christ 
that not one stone should be left upon another. Zion was ploughed 
as a field and Jerusalem became a charred ruin. Over a million 
people had perished, according to some authorities, nearly 100,000 
were led away as captives and thousands were reserved to exhibit 
the triumph of Titus at Rome. 

The setting of the first part of this story, The Gladiators, is 
Rome where a British slave wins the love of a beautiful woman 
of patrician rank. He is not permitted to love her undisturbed 
as she has inspired the love of a tribune who, in character, is the 
antithesis of the noble Briton. Following the events in Rome 
that of the siege of Jerusalem occupies the last chapters. The 
death of Vitellius, who was dethroned by the soldiers of Vespasian, 
is graphically described. 



78 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The Forgotten Door. 1909. Frank Cowper 

Following the death of King Agrippa, the son of Agrippa the 
tetrarch, the Jewish discontent increased until it reached the 
revoluntionary stage. Cestius Gallus was the incompetent gov- 
ernor of Syria. The outrages of the Roman procurators reached 
a point where the Jews in Jerusalem could no longer tolerate them. 
They rose in revolt, seized the fortress of Masada and put to death 
the garrison. To restore order Gallus left Syria and came to 
Jerusalem. This was in November of the year 66. He secured 
possession of the northern section and attacked Mount Moriah, 
the temple mount. The fighting continued for five days, and when 
victory seemed within his grasp, for no accountable reason he 
withdrew his forces. Retreating from the city he was pursued by 
the Jews so hotly that he succeeded in getting out of a ravine in 
which he was trapped and got back to Antioch by sacrificing the 
larger part of his army. 

The Forgotten Door deals with this event, the forces under 
Cestius Gallus coming to the support of the Roman garrison, and 
their defeat. It also depicts the massacres within the city. 

For the Temple. 1888. George A. Henty 

In A. D. 64 Josephus, the Jewish historian, went to Rome. On 
his return he found the Jews preparing to break away from Rome. 
He did his utmost to discourage such a move as utterly useless, 
that not for an instant could they hope to be successful in such a 
revolution. Failing to convince his countrymen of this fact he 
accepted the commission to defend the northern section, Galilee, 
and for forty-seven days held the town of Jotapata against the 
Roman army. He was taken with the fall of the city, and was 
consequently with the Roman army when Titus took Jerusalem. 
He was one of the great company of Jews that Titus took to Rome. 

Henty's story describes the siege of Jotapata and Jerusalem. 
The hero enlists in the service of Josephus, and at the head of a 
force strives to save the temple. 

Tarry Thou Till I Come. 1827. George Croly 

The author (1780- 1860) was born in Dublin. He became the 
rector of St. Stephens, Walbrook, London. He was a contributor 



THE ANCIENT ERA 79 

to Blackwood's and the Library Gazette. He was an imitator of 
the style of Byron and Moore. 

This story of the Wandering Jew was first published under 
the title of Salathiel. This character was condemned by Jesus as 
he was on the way to Calvary, to wander over the earth until the 
Second Advent. He is at the burning of Rome. He also heads 
the revolt of the Jews against Rome and witnesses the siege and 
fall of Jerusalem, and the triumph of Titus over the Holy City. 
It is a strong portrayal of these scenes. 

The Slaves of Sabinus, Jew and Gentile. 1890. 
Charlotte M. Yonge 

This English novelist was born at Otterbourne in Hampshire. 
She was educated at home and resided in her native place through- 
out her life. She supported the doctrines of the High Church. 
She disapproved the workmen's institutes on the ground that the 
geological teachings there would endanger the faith of those who 
attended these instructions. For more than thirty years she edited 
the Monthly Packet, in which many of her novels made their first 
appearance. Miss Yonge produced 160 books comprising histor- 
ical and educational works and novels. Her first great success 
as novelist was The Heir of Radcliffe, the profits of which pur- 
chased a schooner for the use of a Melanesian missionary. 

We have seen how the burning of Rome was the occasion of 
the persecution of the Christians by Nero. It might be supposed 
that at his death these persecutions would cease when better and 
more humane emperors came to the throne. Such was not the 
case. They were grounded in different considerations relative to 
the Roman state and became more systematic, but were destined 
to persist for an extended period. 

Miss Yonge's story deals with these fiery trials which the Chris- 
tians endured. It did not require much of a charge to bring one 
under condemnation and death. Sabinus is charged with taking 
sides with the enemies of the Roman state and Vespasian con- 
demns him to death. Titus who captured Jerusalem, and Domitian 
his brother, both sons of Vespasian, appear in the story. 

Reign of Titus 
Titus was the eldest son of Vespasian, and when the latter 



8o HISTORICAL FICTION 

returned from Palestine to Rome (69) to take the throne he left 
Titus to conduct the war in Judea. The siege and fall of Jerusalem 
have already been described. He followed his father on the 
throne in a short reign of two years. During this time another 
great fire swept Rome. It was during this reign that occurred 
the destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum by an eruption of 
Vesuvius. 

The Stories 
The Last Days of Pompeii. 1834. Bulwer-Lytton 

Under the early emperors Pompeii became a favorite resort 
of wealthy Romans. In A. D. 79 it was completely buried by 
Vesuvius to a depth of twenty or more feet by showers of ashes, 
cinders, pumice stones and streams of volcanic mud. This con- 
tinued for several days. The people were enabled to remove most 
of their possessions. In doing so many were lost or overcome in 
the darkness which enveloped the city, floundering in the ashes, 
and unable to locate the gates. Their bodies recovered by the 
excavations centuries afterwards were found in various postures 
as they sank down in their exhaustion. Pliny, the Elder, the 
great naturalist, venturing too near Vesuvius to study the erup- 
tion, lost his life. The city lost to view was forgotten. It was in 
1748 when a peasant, in sinking a well, found a painted chamber, 
some statues and other objects. The excavation of the city was 
then undertaken. Among the most interesting private dwellings 
are the villa of Diomedes, the house of Sallust and the house of 
Marcus Lucretius. 

Bulwer-Lytton's story is a portrayal of the luxury that char- 
acterized Roman society of that day as drawn not only from the 
ancient literature, but from the evidence that came forth from 
the buried city by the spade of the excavator. 

Glaucus, the hero of the novel, is loved by Nydia. She is blind 
and sells the flowers she has woven into garlands in the public 
places of Pompeii. She was a Greek of noble birth but in infancy 
had been stolen from her parents and sold into slavery. Glaucus 
rescued her from her infamous master and her heart went out in 
passionate love for her rescuer. Glaucus does not suspect this 
devotion of the blind girl, who, finally, in a state of melancholy 
is driven to crime and to death. 



THE ANCIENT ERA 81 

The Priestess of Isis. 1910. Eduard Schure 

This story is a portrayal of Pompeian society, and sets forth 
the religious ideas prior to the destruction of the city. 

Reign of Domitian 

Domitian was the son of Vespasian and brother of Titus. His 
reign was a period of incessant crimes and cruelties. Under him 
was instituted the second persecution of the Christians. These as 
well as the Jews refusing to do homage to his statue by burning 
incense before it, made them the victims of another reign of 
terror. The persecutions under Nero and Domitian were mere 
outbreaks of personal cruelty and tyrannical caprice. The first 
persecution which was general and designed to obliterate the Chris- 
tian Church was that under Decius. During the Domitian perse- 
cution the emperor's niece, Domitilla, was one of the victims. 
Domitian was finally put to death by members of his own house- 
hold. 

It was recognized that Christianity contained many elements 
in which Heathenism was wanting, and it was debated how these 
might be incorporated into that system. In creating a parallel, 
and crowding it to the utmost, several heathen Christs were put 
forward. Of these the greatest celebrity who was exhibited as 
a veritable heathen Christ was Apollonius of Tyana. In a biog- 
raphy of him, written by Flavius Philostratus, by the most fanciful 
idealization he is represented as a rival of Jesus Christ. He 
preached in the cities and, in the reports given of his work, per- 
formed miracles. He urged men to love their neighbors as them- 
selves. He suffered persecution on account of his reformatory 
work. His friends did everything to keep him from going to 
Rome where Domitian was prosecuting his cruelties, to which he 
replied, "I dare not flee from my enemies, I must fight for my 
friends." He was cast into prison by Domitian. 

The Stories 
Masters of the World. 1888. Mary A. M. Hoppus 

The manner in which the iniquities and brutalities of Domitian 
aroused the Roman nobles and his assassination are set forth in 
this story. It deals also with the plot of Caius Piso. The empress 
plays a part, and the court life is an important particular. The 



82 HISTORICAL FICTION 

facts just given in the historical sketch will throw light upon that 
part of the story in which is set forth the trial of Apollonius of 
Tyana. 

Quintus Claudius. 1882. Ernst Eckstein 

The Empress Domitia is a leading figure of this story which 
portrays Roman life in the time of Domitian. On the one hand, 
we have the plots of the upper class, and on the other, the secret 
meetings of Christians to escape the persecutions to which they 
were subjected. Among the leading Romans of the time intro- 
duced into the story is Martial, a Roman writer of epigrams. He 
was born in Spain but came to Rome when young during the reign 
of Nero. Domitian bestowed upon him the rank of tribune and 
the rights of the equestrian order. His fourteen books of epi- 
grams depict the life of imperial Rome. 

Reign of Nerva 

Domitian was followed on the throne by what are called "The 
Five Good Emperors," because of the beneficent manner in which 
they administered the affairs of the government. They were 
Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, and the two Antonines. Nerva reigned 
for the brief period of sixteen months (A. D. 96-98). 

The author of the following story evidently supported the view 
of Biblical scholars who assign the time of the banishment of the 
Apostle John to this late date. Many scholars incline to a much 
earlier period and assign his banishment to the reign of Nero. 
In his first two epistles this apostle refutes the heresy that denied 
that Jesus came in the flesh. Heretical teachers did not deny that 
Christ had come, but they denied that he came in the verity of 
our human nature. They saw in him only a transient apparition 
of the Divine Nature. This was the denial of the doctrine of the 
incarnation which denial John refutes. 

The Story 
Amor Victor. 1902. O. Kenyon 

This story deals especially with the character and circum- 
stances of the Christians at the close of the century. Roman life 
is represented by the contests in the arena and the profligacy of 



THE ANCIENT ERA 83 

paganism, while contrasted with these are the virtues of the 
Christians. As noted above, the Apostle John exposed the heresies 
prevalent in that day, and these enter into the story. John is 
instrumental in restoring to his Christian faith the robber who 
had accepted and then renounced Christianity. 

Reign of Trajan 

Trajan was the son of a distinguished Roman commander 
under Vespasian. In his conflict with the Parthians Trajan ex- 
hibited so lofty a character that Nerva adopted him, and in A. D. 
97 created him Caesar. Thus he was the first provincial given this 
distinction. Under him Dacia was made into a province, emigrants 
crowded into this district and the modern name Rumania is a 
monument of this Roman conquest and colonization beyond the 
Danube. He extended the limits of the empire beyond any point 
to which they had hitherto been carried by Roman conquest. 

Christianity was rapidly spreading. The facts regarding the 
new faith, and the manner in which it was regarded by the Roman 
rulers, are set forth by Pliny the Younger who was governor of 
Pontica, and one of the most distinguished men of his age. He 
wrote a letter to the emperor in which he declared that the new 
creed was "a contagious superstition that had seized not only cities 
but the lesser towns also, and the open country." He states that 
he could find no fault in these converts to Christianity, but because 
of their obstinacy in refusing to sacrifice to the Roman gods he 
had ordered many to be put to death. In the year 103 Trajan 
wrote him the famous letter instructing him not to search for 
Christians, but to punish them if brought before him, and on no 
account to listen to anonymous charges. 

The Story 
Valerius. 1821. John Gibson Lockhart 

The author (1794-1854) was educated at the University of 
Glasgow and at Balliol College, Oxford. While he studied for 
the Scottish bar he never practiced law. He contributed to 
Blackwood's Magazine which had come into existence about that 
time. He married the daughter of Sir Walter Scott in 1820, and 
five years later he became the editor of the Quarterly Review. 
His Life of Scott is his greatest work and the judgment is ex- 



84 HISTORICAL FICTION 

pressed that, with the exception of Boswell's Johnson, it is the 
best biography in English. Besides his novels he wrote a History 
of Napoleon and a Life of Burns. 

Valerius is the titular hero of this novel and is the son of a 
Roman commander in Britain. After the death of his father he 
is called to Rome to claim the estates to which he had fallen heir. 
He wins the love of Athanasia who is a Christian, and who is 
instrumental in bringing him to an acceptance of Christianity. 
He marries her and returns with her to Britain. The story sets 
forth the persecution of the Christians under Trajan. 

II. PERIOD OF PROSPERITY AND DECLINE 
Historical Outline 

From Hadrian to Diocletian 

I. Period of Prosperity. 

i. Hadrian, 1 17-138. 

2. Aurelius Antoninus, 138- 1 61. 

3. Marcus Aurelius, 161-180. 

II. Period of Decline. 

1. Commodus, 180-192. 

2. "The Barrack Emperors," 192-284. 

Elected by the army. 

Public sale of the Empire for $12,000,000, 193. 
Septimius Severus, 193-21 1. 
Caracalla, 211 -21 7. 
Decius, 249-251. 
Period of the Tyrants, 251-268. 
Valerian, 253-260. 

Five Good Emperors: Claudius, Aurelian, 
Tacitus, Probus, Carus, 268-284. 

3. Diocletian, 284-305. Passing of Republicanism. 

We have seen, by the brief sketches, under the foregoing divi- 
sion of our study, how the empire expanded from the time of 
Augustus to the reign of Trajan. We have also seen how in this 
period came forth the two great events designed to alter the course 
of human history, i. e., the advent and ministry of Jesus Christ 
and the establishment of Christianity and the Christian Church. 
Under the present division of our study we are to trace the 



THE ANCIENT ERA 85 

development of the empire's prosperity and its declension during 
a period of about 125 years. Christianity remains the great issue 
in the conflict between it and Paganism, but the end of the period 
is to witness the end of the persecutions, the impotence of the 
mighty Roman State in its struggle with truth and the triumph of 
the Nazarene. 

Reign of Hadrian 

Hadrian was a man of administrative ability. He visited the 
provinces of the empire giving each a close inspection. He went 
to Britain and safeguarded the Roman possessions by building a 
great wall, known as the Hadrian Wall, from the Tyne to the 
Solway Firth. His building operations were extensive, and in 
Athens he revived in a measure the grandeur of the Age of 
Pericles. Hadrian forbade the arbitrary and unjust killing of 
slaves. He gave them the right of trial and to be condemned only 
when proven guilty. He also prohibited that any one, male or 
female, should be sold as slaves for disgraceful purposes. 

The Stories 
Antinous. 1884. Adolph D. Hausrath 

The author (1837-1909), a German theologian, was born at 
Karlsruhe. He received a broad education, having studied at 
Jena, Gottingen, Berlin and Heidelberg. In his views he followed 
the Tubingen School. He wrote several historical romances under 
the pseudonym, George Taylor. Of these Antinous was given 
extended circulation running rapidly through five editions. It is 
the story of a soul "which courted death because the objective 
restraints of faith had been lost." Among his other works were 
Klytiae and Jetta. 

In this story, Antinous, the character of Hadrian is portrayed. 
The ruling principles of Christianity and Paganism are contrasted. 
Hadrian deified his beautiful page Antinous for whom he indulged 
an unnatural affection. He was a young Bithynian, and when he 
was drowned in the Nile in the year 122 Hadrian surrendered 
himself to uncontrolled grief. Monuments, temples and statues 
were dedicated to him and even a city was specially set apart 
for his worship. 



86 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Silanus the Christian. 1906. Edwin A. Abbott 

The author (1838-), an English school master and theologian, 
was educated at the City of London School and St. John's College, 
Cambridge, where he took the highest honors in classical, mathe- 
matical and theological studies. He took orders in 1862. In 1865 
he became head master of the City of London School which he 
held until 1889 when he retired to devote himself to literary and 
theological interests. His theology was of a liberal type which was 
expressed in his writings. His three religious romances, Philo- 
christus, Onesimus and Silanus he published anonymously. 

Epictetus (60-94) was born in Phrygia. During his youth in 
Rome he was a slave but in some way secured his freedom. He 
became a teacher of philosophy. He and Marcus Aurelius were 
the last representatives of Stoicism. Christianity, giving a larger 
place to the affections than did Stoicism, was already fast winning 
the hearts of men. The leading interest of Epictetus, however, 
was not so much in Stoicism as an intellectual system, although he 
adopted its ethics, as in moral and religious instruction. The 
Epicurean declared that the way to happiness was to enjoy to the 
full the good things of this life. Epictetus said, abstain and endure 
— "True happiness is only to be found in tranquillity of spirit 
wherein man, renouncing all things and calmly accepting what 
fate appoints for him, allows nothing to disquiet him." This was 
a fundamental tenet of Epictetus. 

In Dr. Abbott's story Silanus was a disciple of Epictetus and 
at Nicopolis listened to his expositions of his system. He was 
won over to Christianity, and became a disciple of the greater 
Teacher, the Man of Galilee. In this work are discussed at 
length the doctrines of sin and death as held by Epictetus, also the 
Biblical teachings as enunciated by Christ and Paul. 

Reign of Marcus Aurelius 

Marcus Aurelius, son and successor of Antoninus Pius, was 
reared and instructed by Sextus, Plutarch's nephew, Herodes 
Atticus the orator and L. Volusius Mecianus the jurist. He was 
brought under the influence of learned men and developed a pro- 
found interest in the Stoic philosophy. He was separated from a 
life of studious pursuits at the capital by the necessity of military 



THE ANCIENT ERA 87 

operations against the Parthians who had violated their treaty 
with Rome. He was an ardent student and follower of Zeno, the 
founder of Stoicism. "His Meditations breathe the tenderest sen- 
timents of devotion and benevolence, and make the nearest 
approach to the spirit of Christianity of all the writings of pagan 
antiquity." 

The Stories 
Marius the Epicurean. 1885. Walter Pater 

The author (1839- 1894) was born at London. He was edu- 
cated at Queen's College, Oxford. In 1873 ne published Studies 
in the History of the Renaissance. In 1887 Imaginary Portraits 
appeared, and in 1889 Appreciations. 

For the two schools of philosophy, Stoicism and Epicureanism, 
with special attention to the latter, the reader is referred to The 
Epicurean of this work. 

Marius the Epicurean is a study of the times of Marcus 
Aurelius relative to these philosophical interests. Marius, the 
titular hero, is a young Roman noble who fell under the influence 
of this emperor and his Stoical teachings. While his own phil- 
osophy was based on Epicureanism it approached very closely to 
Stoicism. He was profoundly impressed by the Christian religion 
as it found expression in the Christian life of his time. So deeply 
was he affected by its principles and the happiness of those who 
espoused them, that he himself came to the threshold of an accept- 
ance of the Christian doctrines. The circumstances under which 
he died were such that he was regarded by the Church as a 
martyr. 

Marcus and Faustina. 1904. Frederic Carrel 

The German tribes were menacing the Roman state. Verus, 
the brother of Marcus Aurelius, had died and the sole command 
of the war devolved upon the emperor. He prosecuted it with such 
energy that the Marcomanni and other tribes were forced to sue 
for peace. He was called from these conquests by a new danger 
that threatened him from the East. Avidius Cassius, the Syrian 
governor and conqueror of the Parthians, rebelled, and was pro- 
claimed Emperor. As he was no doubt superior to the emperor 



88 HISTORICAL FICTION 

as a general, and was a man of great energy, he might, at the 
head of the Oriental army, have proved a dangerous rival. Con- 
cluding a rather unfavorable peace with the Danubian tribes, 
Marcus Aurelius hastened eastward. Before he reached Asia 
Avidius Cassius was assassinated and the danger was removed. 
In this sedition Faustina, the empress, was in treasonable com- 
munication with Avidius Cassius. 

These facts furnish the historical setting of this story. The 
empress is represented as committed to a life of pleasure, the very 
antithesis of the Stoical teachings of her husband. She is am- 
bitious to gain the ends for which she sets aside all claims of duty. 
She is ruled by passion and not by principle. 

Reigns of Decius and Valerian 

The period from A. D. 251 to 268 is called the Age of the 
Thirty Tyrants. Weak emperors held the throne and rivals 
appeared, sometimes several at the same time, demanding it. It 
seemed as if the empire would collapse when a succession of five 
good emperors once more united the parts. These emperors were 
Claudius, Aurelian, Tacitus, Probus, and Carus. It was during 
the period of disintegration that Valerian was defeated and taken 
prisoner by the Persian king Sapor in a battle before Edessa in 
Mesopotamia. 

We have already called attention to the fact that the persecu- 
tions of the Christians under Nero and Domitian were outbreaks 
of personal brutality. The first persecution that was general, and 
systematically aimed at the overthrow of the Church, was the 
Decian. That emperor was the first to order a general persecu- 
tion. He aspired to re-establish the ancient glory of Rome, and, 
like Trajan, entered into the conflict with the religion that was 
the enemy of the State. In A. D. 250 he issued an edict that all 
Christians without exception must recognize the Roman religion 
in the performance of all the rites. A period of time was given 
within which they were to sacrifice to the gods, while failure to 
meet these requirements was punishable by torture. The stead- 
fastness of the Christians wearied the pagan and there came times 
of peace. Then the persecution was resumed with greater zeal 
with new methods for the extermination of the Church. 

The fall of Decius (A. D. 251) in the war against the Goths 



THE ANCIENT ERA 89 

brought a brief respite. When Valerian came to the throne perse- 
cutions were revived under new forms. Bloodshed under Decius 
had signally failed and Valerian adopted the measure of separating 
the bishops from their churches, and prohibited all religious 
assemblies of the Christians. But the bishops gathered new 
churches about them and the seeds of the Gospel fell into other 
soil. These measures failing to accomplish the desired end, the 
edict went forth that bishops, presbyters and deacons should be 
immediately slain, and thus the bloody work began again. Sixtus, 
Cyprian and others received the martyr's crown. With the defeat 
and capture of Valerian by the Persians this persecution came to 
an end. 

The Story 

Aemilius. 1871. Augustus D. Crake 

This English author (1836-1890) was educated at London 
University and subsequently entered the ministry of the Church 
of England. His best known historical work is a History of the 
Church Under the Roman Empire. 

This story, Aemilius, is based upon the persecutions of the 
two emperors just sketched, and upon the defeat of Valerian by 
the Persians. 

Reign of Diocletian 

Diocletian, the son of a Dalmatian slave, was placed upon the 
throne by the army. He brought about a radical change in the 
administration of the government. To secure regular succession 
to the throne he appointed Maximian as his colleague, and chose 
two assistants, with the title of Caesar, who should receive the 
succession. Maximian's capital was at Milan, while Diocletian 
selected Nicomedia in Asia Minor as his court. He was sur- 
rounded by court officials of many different grades. When he 
appeared in public, which was seldom, he was attired in a gorgeous 
Oriental costume. By the institution of the new order associating 
with himself the co-regents, the two Augusti and two Caesars, the 
danger of rebellion was considerably reduced. A single emperor 
was too much exposed. But the great expense involved by these 
changes entailed a system of taxation which greatly contributed 
to the impoverishment of the empire. 

Under Diocletian was instituted the last and most severe of the 



go HISTORICAL FICTION 

persecutions against the Church. In the persecution of Decius 
political motives were dominant, while Diocletian was influenced 
mainly by priests and philosophers. The Christians rendered the 
unity of the empire, as Diocletian had planned it, an impossibility. 
In the East they constituted about one-twelfth of the whole 
population, and in the West about one-fifteenth. A day was 
appointed upon which all Christians were summoned to sacrifice 
to the gods. No one was allowed to escape. They were called 
by name. Then began a persecution that for extent and cruelty 
surpassed even that of Decius. Throughout the empire the blood 
of Christians flowed in streams. 

The Story 
The Camp on the Severn. 1875. Augustus D. Crake 

This is a story of Britain under the Roman Empire during 
the reign of Diocletian. After the death of Queen Boadicea the 
Romans ruled over the Southern Britains for about 300 years. 
They drove back the Picts and Scots, a Celtic people, who lived 
in Northern Britain, and shut them out by strong walls, one of 
which was the famous wall of Hadrian between the Sol way and 
the Tyne. Under the Romans the southern part of the island 
advanced in civilization. Roads were constructed, towns were 
built and flourished and missionaries arriving, Christianity was 
introduced. 

At this time, under the administrative system of Diocletian, 
Constantius, commonly called Chlorus, ruled Britain. His military 
ability and the worthy manner in which he ruled Dalmatia secured 
the recognition of Maximian, the colleague of Diocletian. He 
married Flavia Maximiana, the step-daughter of Maximian in 
A. D. 289. This was after he had renounced his wife Helena 
who was the mother of Constantine. In the apportionment of the 
provinces Gaul and Britain fell to Constantius. When the Chris- 
tians were suffering persecution in 303 he exercised toward them 
great humanity. It is true that, for the sake of appearances, he 
had caused some churches to be destroyed, but in other respects 
he left the Christians undisturbed. In 305 the title of Augustus 
was bestowed upon him. It was during his campaign against the 
Picts and Scots in 306 that he died at Eboracum, or what is now 
York. 



THE ANCIENT ERA 91 

III. LAST YEARS OF THE EMPIRE 

A great change is about to take place in the Roman Empire. 
That with which this mighty state has been in such deadly conflict 
is now co rise from a state of persecution to royal establishment. 
Christianity has triumphed. From Nero to Diocletian every 
attempt has been made to crush the new force that by its higher 
and nobler ideals has been undermining the Roman State. It is 
the creation of a new and last period of this world power. Rome 
is to be invested by, and brought under the control of, a new great 
force, the effect of which, however, is not to build up a greater 
empire as existed in this universal state. On the contrary she 
enters upon a period of decline, and by both internal and external 
conditions will come to disintegration and ruin. 

Historical Outline 

From Constantine to the Fall of the Empire 

1. Constantine the Great, A. D. 306-337. 

Triumph of Christianity. The state religion. 

2. Division of the Empire among the sons of Constantine, 337- 

^ 350- 

3. Constantius, 350-361. 

4. Julian the Apostate, 361-363. 

5. Valentinian and Valens, 365-378. 

6. Theodosius the Great, 379-395. Final division of the Empire. 

7. Honorius, 395-423. 

Invasion of Italy by Alaric, 402-403. 
Sack of Rome, 410. 

Disintegration and beginnings of Barbarian Kingdoms, 
410-451. 

8. Fall of the Western Empire, 476. 

Reign of Constantine 

Constantine was the son of the emperor Constantius Chlorus. 
When the latter died in 306 he was chosen Emperor of the West 
by the soldiery. There were six rivals for the throne, and in the 
conflicts that ensued one of the most important was the battle of 
the Milvian Bridge, about two miles from Rome. In this battle 
Maxentius, son of Maximian, who held Italy and Africa, was 
defeated by Constantine. The standard of the latter was the 
Christian Cross which he was led to adopt because of a vision 



92 HISTORICAL FICTION 

of a cross bearing the inscription, "By this sign conquer." The 
battle of the Milvian Bridge altered the whole order of things of 
the past three centuries. The year following this battle (313) 
Christianity was placed by the emperor on an equality with other 
religions as expressed in the edict : "We grant to Christians and 
and to all others full liberty of following that religion which each 
may choose." 

The fire of persecution had burned itself out at the roots. 
Heathenism had exerted all of its power in vain against the silent 
endurance of the Christians. The blood of the martyrs had be- 
come the seed of the Church. Galerius on his death-bed in 311 
issued the remarkable edict which put an end to the persecution. 

In 325 Constantine became the sole head of the Roman Empire. 
In 329 he removed his capital from Rome to Byzantium, which 
was called, after him, Constantinople. "Constantine could not, 
of course, save the Roman Empire. Its life ran out for it had 
fulfilled its mission of gathering for Christ. Its destiny was to 
die by the hand of Christianity, because its chief end was to pre- 
pare for Christianity its first sphere in the world." 

The Stories 

No. XIII. The Story of the Lost Vestal. 1885. 
Emma Marshall 

This English novelist (1832- 1889) was born near Cromer in 
Norfolk. Her productions amounted to more than one hundred 
volumes. She wrote mostly for the young. 

St. Alban was born at Verulamium near the close of the third 
century. Verulamium is the modern St. Albans in Hertford- 
shire. For seven years he served in the army of Diocletian in 
Rome. He returned to his native place in Britain, where, during 
the persecution of Diocletian he was put to death as a Christian, 
and hence is usually styled the proto-martyr of Britain. Tradi- 
tion states that after the close of the persecutions great honors 
were paid to his tomb. In 793 King Offa of Mercia built on the 
spot a church, to which was added a monastery and about which 
gradually grew up the present town of St. Albans. 

This story, No. XIII, introduces this martyrdom. It de- 
scribes Roman life under the two emperors, Diocletian and Con- 



THE ANCIENT ERA 93 

stantine. In its geographical scope it includes Britain, Rome and 
Alexandria. 

On the Emperor's Service. 1904. Emma Leslie 

Aurelius Augustine (A. D. 354-430) was born near Carthage 
in Africa. He was sent to that city to be educated, which gave 
him the opportunity of indulging in a life of profligacy. His 
mother, Monica, one of the saintliest of women of all time, prayed 
unceasingly for his reclamation and conversion. Her prayers 
were answered in 383, when Augustine went to Milan, where he 
came under the influence of the great preacher St. Ambrose and 
was converted to Christianity. He was a man of great intellec- 
tual power, and the judgment that "he moulded the spirit of the 
Christian Church for centuries" is strictly true. During the Ref- 
ormation his authority was constantly appealed to by both sides." 

This story sets forth the religious conditions, both Christian 
and Pagan, during the time of Constantine, as they existed in 
Africa, Egypt and Syria. It introduces also the two characters 
of a later period already referred to who have exerted such a pro- 
found influence upon the world — St. Augustine and his mother 
Monica. 

Reign of Valentinian 

This emperor was chosen by the army as the successor of 
Jovian. He ruled the Western provinces, while his brother 
Valens ruled the East. His reign was characterized by wisdom 
and justice in correcting abuses and in establishing better condi- 
tions. Much of his time was occupied with the invasions of bar- 
barians. 

The Story 
The Meeting of the Ways. 1908. J. Bowling Baxter 

This is a story of Britain during the period of Valentinian. It 
describes the conflict with the Picts and the victory secured by 
Theodosius. The story is a very excellent portrayal of the life 
of the time as exhibited in its religious and social surroundings. 

Reign of Theodosius 

In 379 the emperor Gratian chose Theodosius for his partner 
in the empire, and was given Thrace and the Eastern provinces. 



94 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The Goths had invaded these districts and were defeated by 
Theodosius. Upon the death of Maximus he became sole head 
of the empire. During this reign an incident occurred that ex- 
hibited the place of Christianity in the state. An insurrection had 
broken out in Thessalonica. In a fit of temper, and to satisfy his 
vengeance, Theodosius invited the people of that city to an exhibi- 
tion and then had seven thousand of them put to death. For this 
crime St. Ambrose refused him entrance to the Church until he 
had done penance in public, to which Theodosius humbly sub- 
mitted. 

The Story 

Leo of Mediolanum. 1909. Gertrude Hollis 

The first General Council of the Church was convened by 
Constantine at Nicaea A. D. 325. Christians had become divided 
on certain great doctrines and were formed into such sects as 
Arians and Athanasians. Arius was a presbyter of Alexandria, 
and Athanasius was bishop of the same city. The purpose of this 
Council was to consider and render a judgment upon these con- 
flicting creeds. The result was that Arianism was rejected and 
the Nicene Creed was formulated. 

The controversy dividing these two sects concerned the nature 
of Christ. The Athanasian creed declared : "We worship one 
God in trinity, and trinity in unity, neither confounding the 
persons nor dividing the substance. For there is one person of 
the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. 
But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, 
is all one ; the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal." The Arians 
considered the three persons as differing in essence — three beings 
— which was "dividing the substance." 

It is with this great controversy that this story deals, the ob- 
ject of which is to set forth the triumph of the Catholic position. 
St. Ambrose, noted for his greatness and wisdom, elected bishop 
of Milan in 374, is one of the leading characters. He was a warm 
friend of Monica, the mother of Augustine and the spiritual ad- 
viser of the latter. St. Augustine and the Emperor Theodosius 
appear also in the story. 

Reign of Honorius 

Under Theodosius the Great the Roman Empire was united 



THE ANCIENT ERA 95 

for the last time. Before his death he assigned the government 
of the West to his son Honorius, who was then eleven years of 
age, and the East to his son Arcadius. It was not designed that 
this division should affect the unity of the Empire. 

About seven years after the death of Theodosius occurred the 
invasion of Italy by Alaric (402-403). Great numbers of the 
barbarians passed through the empire. The Visigoths, led by 
Alaric, poured through the pass of Thermopylae and laid waste 
to the peninsula of Greece. They were driven out by Stilicho, 
the general of Honorius, and crossing the Alps instituted a reign 
of terror throughout Italy. Again they were defeated by Stil- 
icho. The same year witnessed also the last gladiatorial combat 
in the amphitheater. 

Shortly after the victory of Stilicho Honorius, influenced by 
rash advisers, brought about a revolt of 30,000 Gothic mercen- 
aries in the Roman legions by a massacre of their wives and chil- 
dren held as hostages. The Goths beyond the Alps joined in 
avenging this act. Alaric crossed the mountains, pillaged cities 
and appeared before the gates of Rome. The city, following a 
siege, surrendered. To pay the ransom the images of the gods 
were stripped of gold and precious stones and the statues melted 
down. A little later Alaric entered the capital and gave it over 
to the barbarians. They filled their wagons with its wealth, burned 
the buildings at night and made the streets slippery with the blood 
of its people. 

The Stories 
Antonina. 1852. William Wilkie Collins 

The author (1824- 1889) was born at London and studied law 
at Lincoln's Inn. The friendly relations that existed between 
him and Charles Dickens was responsible for his turning from 
law to literature. Antonina was written while he was a clerk in 
a London firm of tea-merchants, but was not published until 1852. 
He visited the United States and gave public readings from his 
own works. From 1851 he and Dickens were intimately asso- 
ciated, working at times in collaboration. 

This historical romance is based upon the events in the time of 
Honorius we have briefly sketched. It describes both the conflict 
between the Romans and the Goths, and the spiritual contest be- 



96 HISTORICAL FICTION 

tween Paganism and Christianity. These incidents as treated by 
the author bring out the contrasted types of character. Alaric, 
the Gothic king, is one of the characters. 

A Duke of Britain. 1895. Herbert E, Maxwell 

The Novantia of the Romans was a district in the southwest 
of Scotland now known as Galloway. Until the end of the 1 2th 
century it included Carrick, now the southern division of Ayr- 
shire. This designation has been established for a long time, 
although it has not been adopted in a civil way. The Bruces were 
lords of Galloway, and in 1623 the title of earl of Galloway was 
created. The title is now held by a branch of the Stewarts. 

This romance of Galloway relates to the period just prior to 
the evacuation of Britain by the Romans. Cunedda, a tribune of 
the Picts is appointed by Honorius as Duke of Britain. Stilicho, 
the general of Honorius, who distinguished himself in his defeat 
of the Visigoths and afterwards was executed by the jealous em- 
peror, appears with Honorius in the story. The various classes, 
soldiers, Christians and Druids, all play their part in the distinc- 
tion of British and Italian life. 

The Count of the Saxon Shore. 1887. Alfred J. Church 

In the period of the barbarian invasions of Roman territory 
and settlements, one of the most important of these settlements 
was that in the province of Britain. When Stilicho, the general 
of Honorius, was compelled to withdraw the Roman forces from 
Britain in defence of Italy against the barbarians it left Britain 
unguarded. Taking advantage of this situation the Picts came 
over the Hadrian Wall and laid waste the fields and towns of the 
South. Thrown into a panic the inhabitants called upon the 
Angles and Saxons of the North Sea to aid them against the in- 
vaders. They did so and drove the Picts out of the land. The 
country made so favorable an impression upon these allies that 
they decided to remain. They claimed the country for themselves 
and became the ancestors of the English people. 

In Church's story the historical event just noted is followed 
by a revolt. Carna, an English maiden, is adopted by the Count 
of the Saxon Shore. Her experiences together with the other 
events, are forcefully set forth in this story. 



THE ANCIENT ERA 97 

Invasion of the Huns 

Attila, the leader of the Huns, ruled over a great part of 
northern Asia and Europe. Theodosius was twice compelled to 
purchase peace from him. After invading Thrace, Macedon and 
Illyria he proceeded to the West. It is said that his army num- 
bered 700,000 men. It was his aim to lay waste to Italy and bring 
Roman power to an end. Theodoric, the king of the Visigoths, 
gathered his forces and combined with the Romans against the 
Huns. The armies met on the plain of Chalons. Theodoric fell, 
but after a bloody battle the Huns were completely defeated, suf- 
fering a tremendous loss in dead and wounded. With his shat- 
tered army Attila made his way across the Rhine. This was in 
the year A. D. 451. 

The Stories 
Attila and His Conquerors. 1894. Elizabeth R. Charles 

The scene is laid in this period of the invasion of Italy by 
Attila and the Huns, and the great battle of Chalons. The author 
in this story gives special attention to Christianity and the Chris- 
tian life of this period. 

Attila. 1837. George P. R. James 

This English novelist and historical writer (1799- 1860) was 
born in London. He added greatly to his rather limited educa- 
tion by traveling and reading extensively. Under William IV 
he was appointed Historiographer Royal. He died in Venice, 
where he was Consul General. His first writings were in the form 
of Eastern tales, which won the commendation of Washington 
Irving. His novels are largely historical and his writings con- 
sist of nearly 100 productions. His stories, however, are built 
upon the same general plan, and in this respect lack variety. 

In this story a young Roman is with the forces of Attila. It 
affords him an opportunity of witnessing the destructiveness of 
Attila's army as it moved over Europe, and in its conflict with 
the Visigoths. The delineations are excellent. 



CHAPTER VIII 

THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD 

This period extended from the fall of the Western Empire, 
A. D. 476, to the time of Charlemagne, a period of about 275 
years. We have already referred to the fact that some historians 
include this period in the Middle Ages, that is, they date the 
Medieval Era from the fall of Rome. 

In accounting for the great changes that took place we must 
note the modification of the old society by the comminglings of 
the Germanic peoples, and the influence of Roman civilization 
upon these nations. 

The fall of the Roman Empire was brought about, not sud- 
denly, but by a gradual process. The army was recruited from 
the barbarians, who learned from the Romans the art of war, and 
at the same time were strengthened by training in military disci- 
pline. Whole settlements of these tribes became established with- 
in the empire, and at times bartered their military service for 
territory. Under such training and discipline, and developed by 
these Roman opportunities, many of the most efficient attained to 
high places in the army, and consequently exercised their influ- 
ence and power in respect to the rulers. 

Another important fact tending to the same result is that most 
of the Germanic tribes were converts to Christianity before they 
made their attacks and subverted the throne of the Caesars. In 
fine, there was a long preparation for the great onset of the bar- 
barian peoples in the fifth century. It was this ability on the part 
of the German, possessed of strong intellectual and moral char- 
acteristics, to set aside his religion and adopt a new one, and to 
avail himself of the elements of civilization developed by Rome 
that fitted him to become the conqueror of this people. 

On the other hand, we must look to the state of things at the 
heart of the Empire for the cause of its fall. If Rome had not 
come to a state of decay she would not have fallen under the hand 
of the barbarian. It was the internal condition and not these 

98 



THE ANCIENT ERA 99 

external circumstances that was largely responsible for her fall. 
Civil war had greatly reduced the population of Italy and it was 
a difficult thing to maintain a strong army. Luxury had sapped 
the vitality of the people. Feasts and other enervating conditions 
had rendered this people, once so strong and virile, weak and 
effeminate. Instead of keeping up their robust militia their wealth 
enabled them to hire foreigners to do their fighting. The Ger- 
mans were the best soldiers, and in fighting Rome's battles came 
to commanding positions in the Roman army. With such de- 
caying and disintegrating conditions sapping the vitality of the 
people, and a strong warlike race clothing itself with the elements 
of strength that constituted the power of the State, it is easy to 
understand how the Empire came to ruin by a people to whom war 
and conquest were a delight. 

Another element that entered into the dissolution of the Em- 
pire was Christianity. Rome was disposed to be tolerant toward 
other religions that found their way into the empire. Between 
these religions and Christianity, however, there was an essential 
difference. The latter affected the relation of the subject to the 
State in certain particulars. It taught that to follow the forms 
and indulge the liberties of the Roman religion was a sin, and 
that the Emperor and State were not supreme. But the Roman 
religion was a national system and an essential part of the State, 
and it was by reverence for the emperor that he had gained such 
influence over his subjects. Hence this attitude to the state re- 
ligion, and the tendency to alter the distinction of the emperor, 
precipitated the attempt to exterminate the Christian religion by 
the different emperors. If Christianity became supreme Rome 
could not persist. In a comparatively brief time after the disper- 
sion of the disciples of Christ the Gospel was heralded everywhere. 
Through the preaching of Paul and others churches were estab- 
lished and Christian doctrines widely diffused. Christians held 
offices of the State and were soldiers in the ranks. As one Roman 
writer declared, they were filling the empire and its official posi- 
tions. Rome realized her danger and under different emperors 
prosecuted the work of extermination. 

We have already seen the futility of the attempts to uproot 
Christianity, and how at last, after decades of patient suffering, 
Paganism was vanquished, the Emperor became a Christian and 
Christianity became supreme in the State. 



ioo HISTORICAL FICTION 

Historical Outline 

The Teutonic Kingdoms 
i. The Kingdom of the Ostrogoths. 

It had Ravenna for its capital. This kingdom came to 
an end in 553 when Justinian determined to seize Italy 
and Africa. 

2. The Kingdom of the Visigoths. 

These people occupied territory in Gaul, from which they 
were expelled by the Franks in 507. The kingdom was 
finally overthrown by the Saracens in 711. 

3. The Kingdom of the Burgundians. 

They established their kingdom on the Rhone. In 534 
they were conquered by the Franks. 

4. The Kingdom of the Lombards. 

They captured the city of Pavia in Italy. In 586 they 
had possession of almost the entire peninsula, which 
they held for over 200 years. In 774 they were sub- 
dued by Charles the Great. 

5. The Kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons. 

After the Roman troops were withdrawn from Britain the 
island was taken by the Angles, Saxons and Jutes. In 
827 Egbert, king of Wessex, brought all under his rule. 

6. The Kingdom of the Franks. 

This was the greatest of the German kingdoms. In 451 
the Merovingian Dynasty was founded by Meroveus. 
After 300 years it was overthrown in 751 and the Car- 
lovingian Dynasty was established. 

I. THE EASTERN ROMAN EMPIRE 

For fifty years after the fall of the Western Empire the East- 
ern was threatened with the same danger at the hands of the bar- 
barians. Had Constantinople suffered the same calamity as did 
Rome the cause of Christianity would have been dealt a crushing 
blow. 

It was in this critical situation that Justinian (527-565) as- 
cended the throne and brought safety and security to the empire, 
which at the same time profoundly influenced the West. His 
two great generals, Belisarius and Narses, overthrew the Vandal 
kingdom in Africa and the Ostrogothic kingdom in Italy and re- 
covered also the southern part of Spain from the Visigoths. 



THE ANCTF.NT ERA toi 

Justinian has been called "The Lawgiver of Civilization," 
which title he earned by the codification of Roman Law, the Cor- 
pus Juris Civilis, which preserved the great institutes of Rome to 
influence the world to the present day. This is the great outstand- 
ing fact of this reign, the importance of which cannot be over- 
estimated. 

Belisarius, to whom Justinian chiefly owed the splendor of his 
reign, was given command of an army and gained a signal victory 
over the Persians. In 532 a great revolt arose in Constantinople 
which was put down by Belisarius, by which he saved the life of 
Justinian. Notwithstanding his great services to the empire in 
his conquest of the Vandals, the Ostrogoths and Visigoths, he 
was accused of treason and cast into prison. Before his death 
he was released and restored to his honorable position. He and 
Justinian died in the same year (565). 

The Stories 
Blue and Green. 1879. Sir Henry Pottinger 

Theodora, the wife of Justinian, was the daughter of a bear- 
feeder of the amphitheater of Constantinople, according to Pro- 
copius, the reliability of whose authority is very often questioned. 
He states that she was sent to the stage to make her living. She 
came into the life of Justinian while he was a patrician, and there 
being a law against a senator marrying anyone connected with the 
stage, it required a special dispensation to set aside this law to 
permit this marriage to occur. The personal antipathy, in fact 
the actual hatred of Theodora entertained by Procopius, undoubt- 
edly disqualified him as a true judge of her character. In his 
Anecdota he has recorded disgusting things of her life, but the 
exaggerations are so obvious that the report is not very con- 
vincing. 

Theodora exercised over her husband a strong influence, 
which, most likely, was not the best influence. There seems to be 
sufficient evidence of her lack of principle. But she certainly 
saved his crown in the great Nika insurrection of 532 when, sup- 
ported by a splendid courage, she refused to escape when the 
palace was attacked by the rebels. 

It was during this same sedition of the "green" and "blue" 
parties of the circus that Belisarius rendered Justinian a great 



102 HISTORICAL FICTION 

service in effectually crushing the rebels who had proclaimed 
Hypatius emperor. 

This story, Blue and Green, a romance of old Constantinople, 
has its setting in the events just noted. It portrays the bloody 
scenes of this insurrection in which a large part of Constanti- 
nople was laid waste and thousands were slain. Both Belisarius 
and Theodora occupy an important place in the story. In the 
author's delineation of the latter he takes the very opposite view 
of that of Procopius as noted above, and presents her in a favor- 
able light. 

A Struggle for Rome. 1878. Felix Dahn 

This German author, historian, jurist and novelist (1834-1912) 
was born in Hamburg. His parents were famous actors. He re- 
ceived his education in Munich and Berlin. In the former he be- 
came Professor of Law, also at Wurzburg and Breslau. His 
novels in the main deal with Germanic peoples, of whom he wrote 
a score of stories, and by these he is best known. 

In the historical statement we noted the great work of Beli- 
sarius in wresting from the barbarians Africa, Italy and the 
southern part of Spain. 

In this story the author deals with these conquests as related 
to the Ostrogoths. It is of special interest that his portrayal of 
the character of Theodora the Empress is the very opposite of 
that of the author of Blue and Green, the preceding story. Dahn, 
no doubt, accepted as authentic the account of Procooius and 
makes her a dissolute, instead of a worthy, character. 

Veranilda. 1904. George Gissing 

When a boy Theodoric was sent as a hostage to Constanti- 
nople and there received his training as a Roman noble. In 474 
he became king of the Ostrogoths. After fourteen years of war- 
ring he was given the right to wrest Italy from Odoacer, the 
usurper of the throne in 476. For five years Theodoric pursued 
his conquests. He reigned in Rome until his death in 526, being- 
one of the best of Roman rulers. Then came the conquests of 
Belisarius and Narses. The Goths fought their last battle near 
Vesuvius in 552. Narses permitted the defeated army to march 
out of Italy, and the Ostrogothic nation came to an end. 



THE ANCIENT ERA 103 

The author in this historical romance, Veranilda, describes the 
destructive effects of these invasions upon Italy. The romantic 
interest in the story centers about the heroine Veranilda, who is 
a Gothic princess, and the Roman noble her lover. 

II. ENGLAND 

The Arthurian Period 

About this hero, Arthur, who sometimes is spoken of as King 
of the Britons and ruled over them in the fifth and sixth centuries, 
have been woven various legends. The story has been the basis 
of many poems, among which the most notable is Tennyson's 
Idylls of the King. 

Arthur married Guinevere and established at his court the 
famous Round Table. He defeated the invaders of Britain and 
brought the land into a state of order. His nephew, Modred, 
instigated a rebellion while Arthur was in Rome, and upon his 
return in his attempt to reduce the rebellious knights to submis- 
sion, he was fatally wounded. To be healed of his wound he was 
taken to the island of Avalon. 

The historicity of Arthur has been a much debated question. 
The history of Geoffrey (in 1136) setting forth the deeds of this 
hero in his extensive conquests established a general belief in this 
chieftain and his exploits. When the fictitious character of this 
so-called history was detected, what was believed concerning 
Arthur was as strongly rejected. The truth probably lies midway 
between these two attitudes. 

That the evidence of Nennius, whose Historia Britonum pre- 
ceded the work of Geoffrey by about 400 years, is reliable, is ac- 
cepted by scholars. In this work we are told how Arthur at the 
head of the armies of the British kings, in twelve great battles 
defeated the Saxon invaders. What seems to be established is, 
that Arthur was not a king but a famous general. Miss Jessie L. 
Weston, author of Arthurian Romances, says, "If we say that he 
carried on a successful war against the Saxons, was probably be- 
trayed by his wife and a near kinsman, and fell in battle, we have 
stated all which can be claimed as an historical nucleus. Into the 
figure of Arthur as we know him, other elements have entered ; 
he is not merely an historic personality, but at the same time a 



104 HISTORICAL FICTION 

survival of pre-historic myth, a hero of romance, and a fairy 
king ; and all these threads are woven together in one fascinating 
but bewildering web." Sir Thomas Malory, about 1470, wrote 
his Morte d'Arthur, which embodies in melodious English prose 
the romantic legends of Arthur. 

In Arthurian legend the Round Table was a circular marble 
table constructed for Uther Pendragon by the enchanter Merlin. 
It came into the possession of Leodegrance, king of Camelard, 
and on the occasion of the marriage of his daughter Guinevere 
with Arthur he presented to him the table. Tradition declares 
that it was modeled after a table made by Joseph of Arimathea, 
which was fashioned after the one used by Christ and his disci- 
ples at the Last Supper. One of the seats of the Round Table was 
always unoccupied and was intended for the one who should 
recover the Holy Grail. It was fatal for any one else to occupy 
that seat. In his Morte Arthnre Malory states that this seat was 
reserved for Sir Galahad, the son of Sir Lancelot and Elaine. 

The Holy Grail was the legendary vessel that contained the 
wine used by Christ at the Last Supper. For centuries, according 
to the legend, it was in the possession of the descendants of Joseph 
of Arimathea, whose son brought it to England. One of its keep- 
ers was guilty of a sin and it was taken to heaven. Those who 
were pure of heart were permitted to behold it. Many of Arthur's 
knights searched for the Holy Grail. Of these Galahad, Bors 
and Perceval had a vision of it. Readers of Tennyson are familiar 
with the use he makes of the legend in his Idylls of the King. 



The Stories 
Cian of the Chariots. 1898. William H. Babcock 

This romance of Arthur's Court deals with the events as set 
forth by Nennius to whom we have already referred in the sketch. 
The Saxon invasion and occupation of Kent, Sussex and Essex, 
with the attending disorders and consternation on the part of the 
inhabitants are described. The people driven from their homes 
to hiding-places and places of protection, and the general disinte- 
gration brought about by the invaders make a strong picture of the 
time. Into all of this Arthur and his campaigns and his wife 
Guinevere enter. 



THE ANCIENT ERA 105 

The Clutch of Circumstances. 1908. Dorothy Senior 

This is a story of the Round Table and the Knights of Arthur 
as described by the work of Malory. The king of Leinster, Cor- 
mac, is a prominent character in the story. 

A Yankee at the Court of King Arthur. 1889. Mark 

Twain 

The author, Samuel Clemens (1835-1910), known as "Mark 
Twain," was born at Florida, Mo. In this small hamlet he re- 
ceived a limited education, and at the age of thirteen went to work 
in a printing office. He became a skilled compositor and in this 
capacity worked in St. Louis, Philadelphia and New York. In 
1857 he became the pilot of a Mississippi steam boat upon which 
he had taken work six years previously. It was in this connection 
that his pen name must have originated. In sounding the depth 
of the water the man called out to the pilot, "By the mark, twain," 
indicating that it was two fathoms deep. During the Civil War 
he became a reporter for a Virginia City paper. Returning from 
the Sandwich Islands he attracted considerable notice as a lecturer, 
and the publication of Innocents Abroad brought him universal 
fame. In 1884 he connected himself with a publishing firm in 
New York which became bankrupt, and the heavy losses in which 
Clemens was involved drove him into the lecture field. It was 
during his stay of some years in Europe that a number of his 
books were written. 

In this story of the Yankee at the Court of King Arthur the 
humorist has placed a Yankee in the midst of these scenes of Eng- 
land in the days of Arthur. There are amusing incidents in these 
incompatible relations, and they are designed by the author to get 
beneath the veneer of chivalry and bring to light the actual con- 
ditions that existed. 

Early England— To the Time of Egbert 

Following the evacuation of Britain by the Romans in order to 
stem the barbarian invasion of Italy, the country was left without 
defence. The first settlement was made by the Jutes. Vortigern, 
a British chief, in 449 called upon Hengist and Horsa, two chiefs 



106 HISTORICAL FICTION 

from Jutland, to assist him against the Picts who invaded the 
country. In this conflict Horsa was slain, but Hengist, after the 
Picts had been driven back, turned against the Britons and settled 
in the Isle of Thanet. His son Eric founded the kingdoms of East 
and West Kent. 

In 477 occurred the Saxon invasion. For sixty years these 
people drove back the Britons and settled upon the conquered ter- 
ritory. They founded the kingdoms of the South Saxons, or Sus- 
sex, West Saxons, or Wessex, East Saxons, or Essex, and Middle 
Saxons, or Middlesex. 

In 603 the kingdom of Northumberland was founded by the 
union of two parties of Angles who entered the country to the 
north of the river Humber and had established separate kingdoms. 
Others entered the middle of England and formed the kingdom 
of Mercia. They were called Angles or Engles. 

Thus were formed the seven kingdoms sometimes called the 
Heptarchy, consisting of Kent, Sussex, Wessex, Middlesex, 
Northumbria, Anglia and Mercia. Some of these kingdoms at- 
taining superiority would lord it over the others. Edwin (617- 
633), king of Northumbria, became an overload of the others; 
Offa (757-795), king of Mercia, gained the supremacy; Egbert, 
king of Wessex, finally conquered Northumbria and Mercia and 
reigned over all the English from the south coast to the Firth of 
Forth. 

When the English settled in Britain they were worshipers 
of the heathen gods Woden and Thor. In 596 some English boys 
of fair attractive features were sold in Rome* as slaves. They were 
seen by Pope Gregory, who became so interested in them that 
an abbot named Augustine, accompanied by forty monks, was 
commissioned to bring the gospel to the English. Among the 
first to accept the new faith was Ethelbert, king of Kent, and 
many of his people. On one Christmas day 10,000 converts were 
baptized. In some places paganism struggled to maintain the 
worship of the old gods. Penda, king of Mercia, became the leader 
of paganism, which brought on a conflict between Mercia and 
Northumberland in which Penda was killed in 655, and after that 
there was no force that could resist the moral energy of the new 
faith. Within less than a hundred years after the landing of 
Augustine Christianity found almost universal acceptance in 
Britain. Monasteries and towns grew up, and learning was en- 



THE ANCIENT ERA 107 

couraged. Caedmon of Whitby, taught by the monks, was the first 
English poet, while Bede (673-735), the first English historian, 
was an English monk at Jarrow on the coast of Durham. 



The Stories 
Builders of the Waste. 1899. Thorpe Forrest 

Northumbria consisted of two sections, Bernicia and Deira. 
When Gregory saw the fair English boys in Rome, offered for 
sale, he was so struck by their beauty he asked to what country 
they belonged. He was told that they were Angles from Deira, 
whose king was Ella. What has been called Gregory's punning 
comment was, "They shall become fellow-heirs with the angels, 
snatched from wrath (de ira) to sing Alleluia." 

This story has its setting in the time of the Saxon conquest of 
Deira. It builds up a love romance between people of the land and 
of the invader. 

The Doomed City. 1885. Augustus D. Crake 

This story describes the defeat of the British by Cuthwulf, 
the leader of the Saxons, when they seized Evesham, Lenbury and 
Aylesbury and caused the fall of the important city of Durocina 
(Dorchester). The missionary activities of Augustine under the 
appointment of Pope Gregory is one of the interests of the story. 

The Druidess. 1908. Florence Gay 

The scene is laid in Devon and the valley of the Severn, where 
Saxon and Celt came into conflict. Britons and Saxons combine 
against Cuthwulf, brother of Ceawlin, king of Wessex. Ethelbert 
and Bertha appear in the story. Ethelbert was king of Kent when 
Gregory's missionaries reached that section. Bertha, his wife, 
was a member of the Frankish royal house. She was a Christian 
and consequently the court was familiar with Christian worship 
conducted by Bertha's chaplain. This explains in a measure the 
hospitable reception of the missionaries by Ethelbert, who gave 
them lodging in his capital, Canterbury, and afterwards accepted 
Christianity. 



108 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Imogen. 1875. Emily Sarah Holt 

When Augustine, the missionary, reached Britain he found 
there a Church of long standing. With this Church the mission- 
aries attempted to co-operate, but certain difficulties were at once 
encountered. Augustine was a stickler for forms and usage, while 
Gregory counselled him to adopt a liberal policy in matters not 
essential. But instead, he demanded a return to all Roman ecclesi- 
astical customs in such a peremptory manner, such non-essentials 
for example as the shaving of the crown of the priest's head, that 
the British Church refused to affiliate with the new-comers. The 
Romans then went to the north and made York the northern cen- 
ter of their work, with Paulinus as their first bishop. 

The author of Imogen sets forth by this story this situation be- 
tween the Roman and British Church, and contends that Christi- 
anity had a far better and purer expression in its earliest introduc- 
tion of centuries before than was exemplified by the religious 
ideas and activities of Augustine. 

The Soul of a Serf. 1910. J. Breckenridge Ellis 

The scenes of this story are laid on the Baltic shores and in 
Britain. It describes the conflicts between the Saxons and Angles. 
Ethelfrith of Northumbria and Penda of Mercia belong to the 
period and events in which this story has its setting. Edwin, the 
son of Ella, afterwards the king of Northumbria, is introduced. 

A Scholar of Lindisfarne. 1902. Gertrude Hollis 

On the west coast of Scotland lies the small island of Iona. 
It was there that Columba, a missionary from Ireland, built a 
monastery, from which point he carried forth his labors for the 
evangelization of the pagan Highlands of Scotland. To the north 
of England also went forth missionaries from this little island. 
Oswald, a prince of Northumbria, fled to Iona. Afterwards when 
he became king of Northumbria he appealed to Iona to send mis- 
sionaries to instruct his people. The request was granted in the 
sending of Aidan. He and his missionary band passed through 
Northumbria preaching in every town and village. Under the 
missionary activities of Aidan Holy Isle, a little islet off the east 
coast of England, became a second Iona. 



THE ANCIENT ERA 109 

A Scholar of Lindisfarne deals with these missionary events 
and the labors of Aidan. He and Oswald are the principal histor- 
ical characters. The hero of the story and also his comrades were 
pupils of Aidan at Lindisfarne. 



King Penda's Captain. 1909. Mackenzie MacBride 

We have already noted the fact that Penda, king of Mercia, 
held to paganism and supported that religion and its gods, Woden 
and Thor. 

This story sets forth the conditions in Britain and its many 
kingdoms in the time of Penda. He allied himself with the Picts, 
who were the ancestors of the Highlanders of Scotland. He is 
represented as a man of great resourcefulness, and by his alliance 
with the Picts succeeded in raising Mercia above all the other 
kingdoms of Britain. With the aid of his captain, the son of 
Nechtan, the king of the Picts, he defeats Oswald, king of Nor- 
thumbria, and also king Sigmund. Penda himself falls in battle 
(655), but the Pictish captain carries on the war as the continued 
ally of Mercia. 



Caedwalla. 1887. Frank Cowper 

The Isle of Wight is an island in the English Channel directly 
off Southampton. It is about 23 miles long and 13 miles wide. It 
now has a population of about 100,000 people. It is noted for its 
beautiful scenery and mild climate and attracts large numbers 
of tourists. When the Jutes came to the country under Hengist 
and Horsa they conquered and settled in Kent and inhabited the 
Isle of Wight. The Roman Church party as distinguished from 
the older British Church, had as its leader Wilfrid, a young Eng- 
lish monk. He was a stickler for uniformity and contended that 
the Scots should conform to the requirements of Rome, being 
more cultivated in religious matters. He declared that his author- 
ity for his customs was St. Peter. Caedwalla, converted from 
paganism to Christianity, supported Wilfrid, who afterwards be- 
came bishop of York. In this story Caedwalla defeats the South 
Saxon king and takes possession of the Isle of Wight, which paves 
the way for the dominance of the Roman Church. 



no HISTORICAL FICTION 

By these 105 stories the Ancient Era, including the Transi- 
tional Period, has been sketched in many of the great historical 
events and conditions of these early centuries comprising the vari- 
ous nations of antiquity. We now enter upon the second great 
period of history, the Medieval Era. 



PART II 
THE MEDIEVAL ERA 

It has been said that "Rome is the bridge that unites, while 
it separates, the ancient and the modern world." If we have dis- 
cerned the fundamental features of antiquity, have grasped the 
significance of the struggle toward unity, and the great general 
truths of those early civilizations, we shall then be prepared to 
take up and follow the historic thread through the following cen- 
turies. 

The new age inherits all the attempts of antiquity in the inter- 
pretation of life ; all of its moral, religious, political and economic 
ideas. Great elements of civilization lie at hand for it to construct 
into new systems. Greece has contributed a wealth of art, litera- 
ture and philosophy. Rome has created a great social order. 
The Greek was the man of thought, the Roman, the man of action. 
And, as we have seen, at the fall of Rome a new and mighty force 
destined to become the next universal power, though of a different 
order, has come through conflict and bloodshed to establishment — 
Christianity. 

With all of these elements at hand it remains for the new age 
to fit the materials into a new structure. Here are the contribu- 
tions of antiquity to future ages, contributions that required cen- 
turies to produce. What use will the new age make of them? 
We must not forget the political conditions at the fall of Rome. 
What seems like utter disintegration is often a groping in the 
dark, the race picking its way amid its limitations, but working 
slowly toward the light. 

In such a transitional period it is for us to follow all the paths 
and discover why they were taken and to what they lead. We 
shall see that what many times seemed abiding was only provi- 
sional. It was the best they could do, but a real contribution to 
the better that was left for another age to develop. 

Before us lies the spectacle of new great states. How did they 
arise ? What conditions and forces were operative in their origin ? 

in 



ii2 HISTORICAL FICTION 

How did their mingling, conflicts and co-operation carry the his- 
torical movement a step forward in the general order? These 
are questions that arise in the study of this new era of human 
history. 



CHAPTER I 

THE EMPIRE OF CHARLEMAGNE 

Charlemagne, Charles the Great (768-814), the first Carlo- 
vingian king of the Franks, was the son and successor of Pepin 
the Short. 

The kingdom of the Franks was the greatest among the Teu- 
tonic nations. In A. D. 751 the Merovingian Dynasty was over- 
thrown and the Carlovingian Dynasty established. The transfer 
of the Roman Empire of the West to the dominion of the Franks 
was the great event of the eighth century. The name Carlovingian 
was derived from Charles Martel, the hero of the battle of Tours, 
the Italian form of Charles being Carlo. By the achievements 
of Charles Martel in uniting the Franks and driving back the 
Saracens, and by Pippin's success in the Italian wars inspiring the 
confidence of the West, the way was prepared for the establish- 
ment of a great empire under Charlemagne. For more than a 
thousand years Europe was to feel the influence of his methods 
of government and his religious and educational ideas. 

When Charlemagne began his reign Europe had few cities ; 
the Western Empire was in the hands of the Church; the few 
roads were infested with robbers, and canals as a means of trans- 
portation did not exist. He was the founder of modern Europe. 

In 771, at the death of his brother Carloman, when Charle- 
magne became sole ruler, his kingdom included all of Gaul and the 
western part of Germany. He subjugated the southern Gauls, 
the Lombards, the Saxons, the Avors and conducted a successful 
expedition against the Moors in Spain, with the result that his 
kingdom extended from the Ebro to the Elbe. On Christmas day, 
A. D. 800, he was crowned Emperor of the West, and thus his 
kingdom included, besides Germany, practically all the territory 
once embraced in the Western Roman Empire. 

Charlemagne's place in history has been represented as "a 
brilliant meteor flashing through the darkness of the Middle Ages. 
Resplendent while it lasted, its fall was succeeded by profound 

113 



ii4 HISTORICAL FICTION 

gloom. But some of his achievements were permanent contribu- 
tions to civilization." He sought to change the prevailing igno- 
rance of the time by the establishment of schools, which became 
centers of learning. "Although his empire fell to pieces, some 
of the best features of his government remained. The strong 
centralization of government which he maintained was the ideal 
of good government in Europe for many centuries. With the 
end of Charlemagne's reign begins a process which runs through 
the second half of the Middle Ages — the formation of the modern 
nations we call Christendom." 

The Stories 
Passe Rose. 1889. Arthur S. Hardy 

The author (1847-) was horn at Andover, Mass. He was 
graduated from West Point in 1869 an ^ was assistant instructor of 
artillery till 1870. He was professor of civil engineering and 
mathematics at Grinnell College, la., 1870-73. He then became 
professor of civil engineering in the Chandler Scientific School, 
Dartmouth, N. H., in 1874. During the years 1897-99 he was 
United States minister to Persia. Following this he was minister 
to Greece, Switzerland and Spain. 

Hardy's story is a romantic idyl reflecting the time of Charle- 
magne, a romance of Franks and Saxons. History, love and imagi- 
nation are the elements of the story. A gallant young man wins 
the love of a beautiful waif. The natural attitudes of the people 
of the time are set forth. Charlemagne figures in the story to- 
gether with monks and ladies of the Court. 

For the White Christ. 1905. Robert Ames Bennet 

During his reign of forty-six years Charlemagne undertook 
fifty-two campaigns, the principal ones being against the Lom- 
bards, the Saracens and the Saxons. In 778 he gathered his forces 
for a great campaign against the Mohammedan Moors in Spain. 
In this he was victorious and regained for Christendom the north- 
ern section of the peninsula. But in crossing the Pyrenees on his 
return march his army was attacked in the rear by the Gascons 
and Basques and was utterly overwhelmed in the pass of Ronces- 
valles. It was with the Saxons, a pagan German tribe, that Charle- 
magne was most frequently in conflict. For thirty years they re- 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 



ii5 



sisted his attempts to subjugate and Christianize them. Follow- 
ing one of the nine successive rebellions of this tribe, Charlemagne 
put to death 4,500 prisoners. This was in the year 782, and was 
the one distinctive act of cruelty of his reign. 

Bennet's story deals with this period setting forth the struggle 
with pagan and Mohammedan forces. At the time that Charle- 
magne is mobilizing his warriors for the invasion of Spain, re- 
ferred to above, Olver, a young viking, saves Roland and Charle- 
magne's daughter. Olver and Roland are with the Frankish forces 
when they are destroyed by the Gascons and Basques at the pass 
of Roncesvalles, and Olver alone escapes from this disaster. The 
massacre of the 4,500 Saxon prisoners is set forth. Olver loves 
the Emperor's daughter and Fastrada marries the emperor. The 
crossing of the Rhine and defeat of the Saxons under Wittikind, 
the year following the act of cruelty noted, enter into the story. 



CHAPTER II 
FRANCE. TO THE HUNDRED YEARS' WAR 

When Charlemagne died in 814 he was succeeded by his son, 
Louis the Pious, who was utterly devoid of his father's abilities. 
His troubles began when he decided to set apart a portion of his 
kingdom for his youngest son Charles as he had done for his 
other sons. The latter opposed this additional division of the 
empire, and when Louis died in 840, Charles (called Charles the 
Bald) and Louis the German allied themselves against Lothair, 
the oldest son of Louis the Pious. The result was the bloody 
battle of Fontenay (841), in which Charles and Louis were vic- 
torious. In 843 the treaty of Verdun was concluded, in which 
Louis received the eastern third of the empire beyond the Aar and 
Rhine ; Charles received the western third east of the Rhone and 
Scheldt ; Lothair received the section lying between and Italy. 

The central authority of the empire of Charlemagne was de- 
stroyed by the division of the territory, invasions, civil wars and 
the feudal system, all of which induced disintegration. 

When the Capetian line came into possession of the French 
throne in 987 France was a bundle of feudal fragments. Under 
this line of kings these separate elements were unified into a firm 
monarchial system, national unity was secured and from this new 
order France took its rise. This dynasty, from Hugh Capet to 
Charles IV, ruled France for a period of 341 years (987-1328), 
or almost the entire period from the rise of France to the Hun- 
dred Years' War. During this time occurred that great move- 
ment known as the Crusades. It arose during the reign of Philip I 
and ended in the reign of Philip IV, about thirty-eight years be- 
fore the close of the dynasty. 

The following outline sets forth the historical movement to 
the Hundred Years' War/which began during the first reign of the 
House of Valois. 

Historical Outline 

Hugh Capet, 987-996. Founder of the Capetian Dynasty. 
Robert Capet, 996-1031. More of a monk than a king. 

116 






THE MEDIEVAL ERA 117 

Henry I, 1 031-1060. Declension of royal power. 
Philip I, 1060-1108. 

Increase of royal power. 

Beginning of Crusades (1 096-1 291). 

Norman conquest of England. 
Louis VI, 1 1 08- 1 137. 

Louis VII, 1137-1180. The Second Crusade. 
Philip II, 1 180-1223. 

Conflict with England. 

Third and Fourth Crusades. 

The Albigensians. Simon de Montfort. 
Louis VIII, 1223-1226. 
Louis IX, 1 226- 1 270. 

Founding of the Inquisition. 

War with England. 
Philip III, 1270-1285. 
Philip IV, 1285-1314. 

Wars with Aragon, England, Flanders. 

First Estates-General of France, 1302. 

The conflict with Pope Boniface VIII concerning papal tem- 
poral power. 
Louis X, 1314-1316. Left no male heir. The question of the 

right of women to rule decided in the negative. 
Philip V, 1316-1322. 
Charles IV, 1 322-1 328. 

Last of the Capetians. 

Died without a son. The English claim for Edward III. 
Philip of Valois, 1 328-1350. 

Beginning of the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453)- 



Reign of Louis VII 

The marriage of Louis VII with Eleanor, heiress of Aquitaine, 
resulted in the acquisition of that large territory. On grounds of 
misconduct on her part he secured a divorce from a council of the 
French clergy and which she equally desired. She at once married 
Henry of Anjou, who was recognized by Stephen as his successor, 
and Henry ascended the English throne as Henry II, the first of 
the Angevin or Plantagenet kings. Eleanor's Aquitanian inheri- 
tance was now transferred to Henry, greatly increasing his do- 



n8 HISTORICAL FICTION 

main, and bringing the Plantagenet kings into still more deadly- 
rivalry with the Capetian rulers. 

Saint Bernard, abbot of the Cistercian monastery of Clair- 
vaux, became the preacher of the Second Crusade, which occurred 
in this reign. He was a man of great ability and culture, and is 
considered by some as the most important figure of the twelfth 
century and "in some respects the most typical man of the Middle 
Ages." Through his influence Louis VII and Conrad III of 
Germany led the forces of the Second Crusade. 

The Stories 
The Lady of Tripoli. 1910. Michael Rarrington 

The scenes of this story give it a wide geographical range — 
Aquitaine, Tripoli, Genoa, Marseilles, Syracuse, Aries and other 
places. Rudel, the Prince of Blaye, is the leading figure, together 
with Odierna, the widow of Raymond I of Tripoli. Marcabru 
the troubadour is the friend of Rudel. St. Bernard of Clairvaux, 
as noted in the sketch above, is appealing to the Christian powers 
to organize a Crusade to snatch from the Saracen the Holy City. 

In His Name. 1873. Edward Everett Hale 

The author (1823-1909), the son of Nathan Hale, was born 
at Boston, Mass. In 1839 ne was graduated from Harvard Uni- 
versity and entered the Unitarian ministry. Following his pasto- 
rate at Worcester, Mass., he became pastor of the South Unita- 
rian Church at Boston, which he served for forty-five years. He 
took a leading part in reform and progressive movements, was a 
lecturer of great ability and the writer of many works. He has 
been called "The American Defoe." Among his writings are his- 
torical works of importance. He was appointed chaplain of the 
United States Senate in 1903. 

Peter Waldo was the founder of the Christian sect called 
Waldenses. He was a wealthy citizen of Lyons and in the year 
1 170 sold his possessions for the benefit of the poor and devoted 
himself to preaching. His followers were called the "Poor Men 
of Lyons," and were subjected to many persecutions. They set- 
tled in the Cottian Alps, southwest of Turin. Waldo's aim was 
the reformation of the clergy, the preaching of the Gospel to all 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 119 

in their own language and the return to the simple Christian life. 
His followers abandoned the doctrines and traditions of the 
Roman Church and grounded their faith wholly in the Bible as 
their sole religious authority. 

In His Name is a description of the simple Christian life of this 
sect who suffered heavy persecution. The heroine is the daughter 
of a weaver who lived in Lyons, and who was related to the 
founder of the sect. 

Reign of Philip Augustus 

Philip II, son of Louis VII, was given the title Augustus by 
the chronicler Rigord "because he enlarged the boundaries of the 
state." He banished the Jews and confiscated their property. He 
joined Richard I of England in the Third Crusade, but quarreled 
with him and returned to France. During this Crusade Richard 
was made a prisoner, and while such Philip invaded Normandy. 
He had too able an enemy in Richard, but in the reign of John, 
who lacked the ability of Richard, Philip's opportunity arose. He 
confiscated the possessions of John in France, and all English 
fiefs, except Aquitaine, came into his possession by the battle of 
Bouvines in 1214. These extensive possessions placed Philip in 
a position of great prestige and power. 

During Philip's reign a movement was inaugurated to crush 
out various heretical sects that had arisen. Among these especially 
was the sect known as Albigenses, the name springing from the 
town of Albi near Toulouse. At this time Languedoc (southern 
France) was wholly unlike northern France in matters of culture 
and language. These people of the south readily embraced the 
doctrines of the Albigenses, who were openly opposed to the whole 
social organization. Pope Innocent III declared their doctrines 
to be a menace both to the Church and society. When a com- 
missioner, sent by the Pope, had been slain by a knight of Ray- 
mond VI of Toulouse, the Pope demanded an armed expedition 
against the heretics, which conflict continued from 1209 to 1229. 
Philip refused to take part in this crusade, but many lords re- 
sponded to the papal call. Among these was Simon de Montfort, 
father of the English earl, who took a prominent part in this war 
of revolting cruelty. It extended through the reign of Louis VIII. 
At last, in 1229, a treaty was made between Louis IX and the new 
count of Toulouse in which the latter suffered the loss of part of 



120 HISTORICAL FICTION 

his estates to the king, and the balance, at the count's death, to go 
to the king's brother Alphonse, who was to marry the daughter of 
the count. 

The Stories 

Philip Augustus. 1831. George P. R. James 

King John, England's worst king, was chosen by the Great 
Council after the death of Richard I, in preference to Arthur his 
nephew. The latter he basely murdered. 

This story deals with the lawless conditions in France at the 
close of the twelfth century, and also the affairs of England during 
the reign of John. The weakness and wickedness of the English 
king are described, and among his deeds that of the murder of 
Arthur. It sets forth the conflict between Philip II and John, and 
the defeat of the latter in the battle of Bouvines, as given in the 
sketch above. 

The Heart's Key. 1905. Maurice H. Hewlett 

The author (1861-) was born in London, where he also re- 
ceived his education and was called to the bar in 1891. He had 
already received some recognition as a writer and decided to de- 
vote himself to literary labors. The Forest Lovers which appeared 
in 1898 greatly added to his reputation. Other works, dealing in 
the main with medieval times, have contributed to this department 
of literature, and are characterized by an interesting style and 
excellent sentiment. 

The Heart's Key deals with this same lawless period of France, 
and delineates in striking representation scenes of love and hatred. 
The scene gathers about a fortress not far from Toulouse. 

The Albigenses. 1824. Charles R. Maturin 

The author (1782-1824), an Irish novelist and dramatist, was 
born in Dublin. After receiving his education at Trinity Col- 
lege, Dublin, he became curate of Loughrea and then of St. Peter's, 
Dublin. His first three novels were subjected to the most bitter 
criticism. Nevertheless there was a peculiar talent displayed in 
them that seemed to escape the notice of the critic. It attracted 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 121 

the attention of Sir Walter Scott. He recommended Maturin to 
Byron, and through their influence he succeeded in having his 
tragedy of Bertram produced at Drury Lane in 1816. The lead- 
ing parts were carried by Kean and Miss Kelly. A sequel to 
Maturin's Melmoth was written by Balzac. 

This story deals with the historical facts relative to the Albi- 
genses set forth in the sketch. Montfort's persecution of this 
sect was followed by civil war in Southern France, which is 
brought out in the story. Montfort is compelled by Raymond VI 
and his son to surrender Beaucaire, and forced into the city of 
Toulouse he was killed when the city was in a state of siege. The 
Albigenses pass through trying scenes from which they finally 
emerge triumphant. 

The Most Famous Loba. 1901. Nellie K. Blisset 

This story relates to the same time and events as the preceding 
story. 

Reign of Philip IV 

By marrying Joanna, queen of Navarre, Philip added to his 
domain Champagne and Navarre. Flanders was a fief of the 
French crown, but so prosperous had it become through its rich 
soil, its manufactures and industries, that the count of Flanders 
attained to considerable independence. Philip decided to annex 
Flanders to his domain. In the battle of Courtrai in 1302 the 
knights of Philip were defeated by the tradesmen of Flanders. 
Other battles followed in which the Flemish soldiers distinguished 
themselves. 

Two things of special importance occurred in the reign of 
Philip : one was his contest with Pope Boniface VIII. It re- 
solved itself into the question whether European states in tem- 
poral matters should be under the domination of the Pope. When 
Boniface attempted to excommunicate and depose Philip the 
agents of the latter made the Pope a prisoner at Anagni and han- 
dled him without regard to his office. He was then an aged man 
and the shock was such that he died within a few weeks. The 
other matter which gave distinction to the reign of Philip was the 
calling of the first Estates-General of France in 1302, which cor- 
responded somewhat to the English Parliament. 



122 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The Story 
A Lady of France. 1910. Beryl Symons 

The scene is laid in Paris in the reign of Philip IV. It sets 
forth in a graphic manner the designs of the king in seizing Flan- 
ders and the victory of the tradesmen in 1302 in the battle of 
Courtrai as set forth in the sketch above. Among the characters 
introduced are Philip and the Queen, Molay, the last Grand Master 
of the Templars, which order was established in 11 18 and its 
Grand Master had the rank of a prince, Bishop Guichard, Marigny 
and other leading personages. 



CHAPTER III 

ENGLAND. TO THE HUNDRED YEARS' WAR 

One of the most interesting and profoundly important devel- 
opments in history is that of the British nation. Her growth and 
marvelous expansion, her institutions and ideals constitute her the 
greatest empire in the world. "England," says Matson, "is the 
great leading nation of the modern world. In a simple compari- 
son of the two as nations, she far surpasses Rome in almost every 
respect. Counting all her possessions, she surpasses her in extent 
of territory, population and wealth; and besides these, in com- 
merce and manufactures, in material resources, and in intellectual 
and moral power and influence. Such a superiority she must in- 
deed have, in order that her relative position in the world may be 
at all comparable to that of Rome. In other words, her superiority 
to Rome must correspond to the superiority of the modern over 
the ancient world. Of all nations she unquestionably best repre- 
sents the modern world. Like Rome, she had a slow and steady 
growth ; but, unlike Rome, this growth has resulted in a free and 
representative government, possessing all the essential elements 
both of stability and progress, thus insuring her a long and pros- 
perous future." 

When we take into account the centuries of her evolution, her 
great world-wide relations and the vicissitudes through which she 
has passed it is not strange that Great Britain has been such a 
rich field for the historical novelist. 

The period we are now to consider extends from the reign of 
Egbert to that of Edward III, including three distinct periods — 
first, from Egbert to the Norman Conquest ; second, the Norman 
Period; third, the Angevin Period. The first of these periods 
divides into three sections : that of the English kings from Egbert 
to Ethelred II ; that of the Danish kings from Sweyn to Hardi- 
canute ; the return to the English line, Edward the Confessor and 
Harold. 

This was followed by the second general period which exerted 
an influence upon English life by the hardihood, thrift, intelli- 

123 



124 HISTORICAL FICTION 

gence and superior organization of the invaders. During the An- 
gevin period occurred the conflict with royal despotism, and the 
rise of the Commons as a new force in government. The Magna 
Charta established the liberties of the people. During this same 
period was waged the conflict between England and Scotland, 
resulting in the independence of the latter. Thus we see through 
what stages England passed during these centuries of the Middle 
Ages. The events will be noted sufficiently to set forth the fiction 
in its historical character and relations. 

I. TO THE NORMAN CONQUEST 

Historical Outline 

I. English Kings. 

1. Egbert, 802-839. 

2. Ethelwulf, 839-858. 

3. Ethelbald, 858-860. 

4. Ethelbert, 860-866. 

5. Ethelred I, 866-871. 

6. Alfred the Great, 871-901. 

7. Edward the Elder, 901-925. 

8. Athelstan, 925-940. 

9. Edmund I, 940-946. 

10. Edred, 946-955. 

11. Edwy, 955-959. 

12. Edgar, 959~975- 

13. Edward the Martyr, 975-978. 

14. Ethelred II, 979-1016. 

II. Danish Kings. 

1. Sweyn, 1013-1014. 

2. Canute, 1 01 6- 1035. 

3. Harold, 1035-1040. 

4. Hardicanute, 1040- 1042. 

III. Return to the English Line. 

1. Edward the Confessor, 1042- 1066. 

2. Harold, 1066. 

Reign of Alfred the Great 
In the closing years of the eighth century the Danes began 
to plunder England, and by the middle of the ninth century they 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 125 

were forming settlements. It was under these conditions, when 
they had distributed themselves over Wessex, that Alfred the 
Great came to the throne. The period of Alfred is the most signifi- 
cant in this period of the English kings. We are told that in the 
year of Alfred's accession (871) nine general battles were fought 
with the Danes south of the Thames. For seven years the struggle 
with these invaders continued, but they were finally compelled by 
Alfred to accept the treaty of Wedmore. 

With the defeat of the Danes Alfred gave his attention to the 
strengthening of his kingdom, both in a military and educational 
way. But the conflict with the Danes was not at an end. Before 
the close of his reign the struggle was renewed, which was carried 
into the four following reigns. They were again subdued and 
their section, known as Danelaw, was brought under English 
control. 

The Stories 

A Lion of Wessex. 1901. Tom Bevan 

The kings of Wessex became the lords of the English people. 
Before Alfred came to the throne he assisted his brother Ethel- 
red I in his war with the Danes. Both appear in this story, which 
sets forth their military achievements in these conflicts in Wessex 
and on the border of Wales. 

Wulnoth the Wanderer. 1908. H. E. Inman 

At the age of twenty-two Alfred was king of a wasted country 
and he determined to secure its freedom. After fighting for seven 
years he was defeated at Chippenham. Gathering his followers 
he made another desperate attempt and gained a signal victory at 
Ethandun near Chippenham, and forced Guthrum, the Danish 
leader, to make the treaty at Wedmore, already referred to. 

This story deals with these conflicts with the Danes and their 
defeat at Ethandun. Edmund, king of the East Saxons, is slain. 

At the King's Right Hand. 1904. Mrs. E. M. Field 

This story deals with the incursions of the Danes and their 
success at Chippenham where Alfred suffered defeat. It carries 
us on through the events to Ethandun, where the tide turned and 
Alfred came off victorious. Scenes in Norway are introduced. 



126 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The Dragon and the Raven. 1885. George A. Henty 

This story sets forth the co-operation of Ethelred and Alfred 
in these struggles with the Danes, and the death of the former. It 
describes the stirring scenes of several battles — Kesteven, Ash- 
down and Isle of Athelney. In the latter the Danes are again 
defeated. 



The Dragon of Wessex. 1911. Percy Dearmer 

After Alfred's defeat at Chippenham he was compelled to flee 
to the hills for safety. It was during this period of retirement 
that the legend of permitting the cakes to burn in the house where 
he found refuge belongs. The Danish army was under the leader- 
ship of Guthrum. After gathering his followers about him at 
Athelney in the swamps of Somersetshire, and a few days before 
the battle of Ethandun (Edingdon), in which he was so victorious, 
Alfred succeeded, under disguise, in getting into the Danish camp, 
and secured the information he wanted regarding the strength and 
position of the Danish army. 

Dearmer's story gives these conflicts to the battle of Ethandun 
and introduces the Danish leaders as also those of the English. 
The domestic relations of Alfred are described in the introduc- 
tion of the queen, Ealhswith, and their children. The events fol- 
lowing the defeat of the English at Chippenham form an important 
part of the story. 

King Alfred's Viking. 1898. C. W. Whistler 

After the defeat of the Danes and ceding to them the eastern 
portion of Mercia known as Danelaw, during the peace that fol- 
lowed Alfred not only built fortresses but also a fleet for the de- 
fence of the country against the Danes at sea. Ships were sta- 
tioned at intervals along the coast. He divided the people into 
two parts, each to take their turn in going to war, or in remaining 
at home to cultivate the land. 

In this story a Norseman is in charge of Alfred's fleet whose 
achievements in the Orkneys are described. Special attention is 
given to the fighting on land, in Somerset, the battle of Ethan- 
dun, etc, 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 127 

God Save King Alfred. 1901. E. Gilliat 

This story takes us to Winchester, Rochester and London. In 
the first of these places we see Alfred again in his home life with 
descriptions of his queen, Ealhswith. The Danes besiege Roches- 
ter and London is restored. Alfred's successor, Edward the 
Elder, is introduced into the story. 

Reign of Edwy 

Edwy was one of the few incapable sovereigns of the line of 
Alfred. Edward the Elder, Athelstan, Edmund, Edred and Edgar 
were strong rulers. Edwy was soon deposed and Edgar, assisted 
by Dunstan, followed him with a vigorous reign. 

Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury, exercised almost royal 
power over England. His object was to bring the Church, both 
laity and clergy, to a higher spiritual life. England was far from 
being a united people. There were many factions and they were 
all brought under the beneficent sway of Dunstan. The Danes 
were permitted to be governed by their own laws. Education was 
encouraged. He held the nobles in check and as far as possible 
secured justice for all. In rebuking the lax conditions he was 
sent by Edwy into exile. In taking a position against the monks 
Edwy excited a rebellion, and the papal party led by Dunstan was 
strong enough to have the king deposed, and Edgar came to the 
throne. During the reign of Edgar, Dunstan was given freedom 
of action and was the one person most instrumental in holding the 
country together. 

The Story 

Edwy the Fair. 1874. Augustus D. Crake 

The opening scene of this story is the court of Edred, Edwy's 
predecessor, at the close of his reign. The central importance of 
the story lies in the work of Archbishop Dunstan and his relations 
to Edwy, as noted in the sketch above. 

Reign of Ethelred II 

Ethelred the Unready, as this king was called, refused to listen 
to the advice of others and lacked essentially in wisdom. Norway 
and Denmark were powerful opponents of England and a strong 
king was the demand of the hour. Ethelred possessed no such 
strength, and in his misgovernment the country again separated 



128 HISTORICAL FICTION 

into petty states and became a prey to the Danes. In 1002 he 
ordered that all Danes in England who could be seized should be 
massacred. The Danes retaliated and Sweyn and Canute began 
the conquest of England. In 1013 Ethelred was compelled to take 
refuge with his brother-in-law, the duke of Normandy, but in 1014 
Sweyn died suddenly and Ethelred was restored to his throne. He 
died two years afterwards. 

The Story 
King Olaf's Kinsman. 1898. Charles W. Whistler 

Olaf was king of Norway and the kinsman was a Thane of 
Ethelred. Olaf secures the young Thane, who serves the king 
and participates in the king's exploits and the battle of Maldon, 
in which Olaf was victorious. 

The Danish Kings 
As already noted, when Sweyn died, Ethelred, who had been 
forced to flee, was restored to his throne. Canute, the son of 
Sweyn, renewed the conflict with Edmund Ironside, the son of 
Ethelred. Edmund ruled half of the land, but in 1016 was assassi- 
nated. He won several victories over Canute, who had been 
elected king by another party. Edmund was defeated at Ashing- 
don and was compelled to yield the midland and northern counties. 
He reigned seven months. Canute was then accepted as king 
by all the English people. Thus the Danish king ruled over 
Denmark, Norway and England. He proved to be a good and 
popular king and brought peace and prosperity to the land. His 
sons, Harold and Hardicanute, held the throne after him for 
seven years. They did not possess the strong traits of their father, 
and when Hardicanute died the English sent for Edward, the son 
of Ethelred the Unready, which brought back the sovereignty from 
the old line of Wessex. 

The Story 

The Ward of King Canute. 1903. Ottilie A. 
Liljencrantz 

This story deals with the conflict between Canute and Edmund 
Ironside and the defeat of the latter at Ashingdon. As already 
noted, Edmund surrendered the northern counties, but Canute, in 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 129 

the division of sovereignty committed to him the rule of the south. 
When Edmund was assassinated Canute became the ruler of the 
whole land. 



RETURN TO THE ENGLISH LINE 
Edward the Confessor 

With Edward a new people and a new great force entered the 
affairs of England. Edward's mother, Emma, was a Norman, and 
he had been brought up in Normandy. Rollo, the chief of the 
Danes, or Norsemen, coming to France about the time of Alfred 
the Great, married the daughter of the French king, and reigned 
as Duke over the part of northern France which was now called 
Normandy, after the new settlers. It was in this land that Edward, 
half Norman, was reared with his cousin, William, Duke of Nor- 
mandy. 

Coming to England at the call of the English people as their 
king Edward brought with him Norman priests and nobles, gave 
them lands and installed them in offices, which displeased his sub- 
jects. Godwin, Earl of Wessex, whose daughter Edith became 
the wife of the king, placed a check upon these nobles. In 105 1, 
Eustace of Boulogne, Edward's brother-in-law, caused a riot by 
attempting unlawfully to place his French followers in English 
houses at Dover. Godwin became involved in the fighting that 
followed, was outlawed and was compelled to leave England with 
his sons. He returned the same year and compelled the king to 
make terms. Foreign influence was checked and Godwin's family 
was raised to an influential position in the affairs of the state. 

During the time of Godwin's absence the Duke of Normandy 
visited Edward. The question of sovereignty lay in the hands of 
the Witan, but it appears that Edward promised the Duke that he 
should be his successor. 

So devoted was Edward to matters of religion that the Church 
bestowed upon him the name Edward the Confessor. For more 
than half of his reign his absorbing interest was the building of 
the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, better known as Westminster 
Abbey. It was the noblest monument of the early dominance of 
Norman ideas in England. 

Edward saw in Godwin's son, Harold, his brother-in-law, ele- 
ments of strength and statesmanship, and committed to him largely 



130 HISTORICAL FICTION 

the affairs of government. Harold met the demands upon him in 
a wise and masterly manner, and Edward, just before his death, 
advised that he be elected his successor, which was done by the 
Witan the day Edward died. 

The Story 

Elgiva, Daughter of the Thegn. 1901. Ryles D. 

Griffiths 

This story deals with Welsh conditions in the days of Edward 
the Confessor. The Welsh chieftains became a disturbing element 
and needed a strong hand to bring them to order. The strong arm, 
as brought out in the story, was Harold. 

Reign of Harold 

After Edward had promised William of Normandy the throne 
of England at his death, Harold was shipwrecked upon the Nor- 
man coast. He was cared for by William, who promised him his 
daughter in marriage for his oath that he should support William's 
claim to the English crown. Thus William had the promise of 
Edward and the oath of Harold. If such a promise was made 
William, Edward revoked it in recommending that the Witan 
elect Harold as his successor. 

When William heard that Harold was made king he prepared 
to invade England to take the throne by force. He appealed to 
Rome and the Pope urged him to carry out his purpose. The sanc- 
tion of the Pope brought many volunteers to his standard. Other 
foes were harassing England, and Harold did not exhibit his usual 
sagacity in raising an army for the protection of his throne, and 
failed to watch the movements of his enemy. 

The Norman army reached Hastings and Harold secured for 
his forces a splendid position on the Hill of Senlac, a few miles 
from Hastings, where now the town of Battle stands. The battle 
waged for several hours when, by a ruse, William secured the fa- 
vored position and rushed the battle to a close. Harold was slain, 
and the battle of Hastings, one of the decisive battles of history, 
was destined to have a far-reaching influence upon the British 
people. On the spot where the battle was fought and won William 
redeemed a pledge he made, and reared the Abbey known as Battle 
Abbey. 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 131* 

The Stories 
Wolf the Saxon. 1895. George A. Henty 

When Godwin died in 1053 Harold, his son, became the Earl 
of Wessex. While William was preparing to invade England the 
country was threatened on every side, but especially from the 
north, where Harold Hardrada, the Norwegian king, and the last 
of the great vikings, was invading the land. To meet this force 
Harold marched to York, a distance of 300 miles. At Stamford 
bridge he engaged Harold Hardrada in a desperate battle and won 
a brilliant victory. 

In this story the author takes us back to the time when Harold 
was shipwrecked and the advantage that William took of his 
situation, practically held as William's prisoner, in receiving from 
Harold the oath as given in the sketch above. The invasion from 
the north is described and the battle of Stamford Bridge. Then 
follows the Norman invasion and the battle of Hastings (1066). 

Harold. 1848. Bulwer-Lytton 

Harold is the titular hero of this love romance founded on the 
Norman Conquest. As in the case of the preceding story, the 
author gives a full description of the battle of Stamford Bridge 
and follows the events to the battle of Hastings and the defeat 
and death of Harold. Edward, William and other historic per- 
sonages are introduced. 

II. THE NORMAN PERIOD 

Harold was the last of the Saxon kings. The battle of Hast- 
ings was the beginning of a new era in English history. The 
south of England surrendered to William, a deputation from Lon- 
don offered him the crown, and on Christmas day, 1066, he was 
the lawfully crowned king of England. But England was far from 
united. The north revolted against Norman rule and a bloody 
conflict ensued. The severity of William's measures crushed the 
revolt so that even Hereward, the most courageous of the English 
leaders, submitted and entered his service. Malcolm Canmore, king 
of Scotland, had furnished a refuge for the English and William 
entered Scotland and forced Malcolm to regard himself as the 
vassal of the king of England. High offices in State and Church 



132 HISTORICAL FICTION 

now passed into Norman hands, and William erected the structure 
of his government. Though cruel and ruthless William "was yet 
no lawless tyrant. He had indeed a passion for order, and his 
claim to be the lawful successor of Edward the Confessor made 
him the champion of the English system." 

Historical Outline 

i. William the Conqueror, 1066- 1087. 

2. William Rufus, 1 087-1 100. 

3. Henry I, 1 1 00- 1 135. 

4. Stephen, 1135-1154. 

Reign of William the Conqueror 

The following stories deal mainly with the revolt set forth 
in the sketch above and the crushing of the same by William. 

The Stories 
The Sword and the Cowl. 1909. Edgar Swan 

The Norman nobles were insolent and oppressed the English 
and did not hesitate to insult the English women. The general 
revolution followed. The revolt in the southwest ceased when 
William took Exeter, which was the stronghold of the rebels. In 
the north, under the English earls, Edwin and Morkere, the re- 
volt was more stubborn. William resorted to the most cruel and 
drastic measures in quelling the revolt, which was aided by Sweyn 
of Denmark. He wasted Northumberland, destroyed the towns 
and slew the people regardless of sex or age. But a small band 
of patriots remained, and these led by Morkere and Hereward 
found refuge in the Isle of Ely, but these were taken in 1071. 

This story, The Sword and the Cowl, takes up these historical 
events from the battle of Hastings to the fall of Exeter, the re- 
bellion of the English earls in the north, the assistance rendered by 
the Danes, the putting down of the revolt and the crushing of the 
little band at Ely. 

Hereward the Wake. 1866. Charles Kingsley 

Hereward ("the Wake" is an addition of later times), whose 
resistance to William the Conqueror made him famous, was a 
tenant of Peterborough Abbey. In 1070, aided by Danish in- 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 133 

vaders, he stormed Peterborough and then entered the struggle 
against William's rule, making his desperate stand in the Jsle of 
Ely. When he was captured by the Normans he made his escape 
with his followers through the fens, cutting his way through the 
Norman forces. He finally submitted to William and entered his 
service. That his exploits made an exceptional impression on the 
popular mind is certain from the mass of legendary history that 
clustered round his name. He became in popular eyes the cham- 
pion of the English national cause. 

Kingsley's tale of the "Last of the English" sets forth this 
period of resistance to the Norman rule. Hereward is of a wild 
and turbulent nature who returns home from abroad after the 
battle of Hastings to find his family slain and the ancestral hall 
in possession of the invaders. After recovering his patrimony 
he takes refuge on the Isle of Ely. His mother is Lady Godiva. 

The Camp of Refuge. 1846. Charles MacFarlane 

This story deals with the same facts as the one preceding, 
giving a graphic description of the exploits of Hereward in his 
struggle with the Normans at Ely. 

The Siege of Norwich Castle. 1892. M. M. Blake 

Norwich is noted for its ancient buildings, several of them 
dating back to the Middle Ages, while ancient gates and fortifica- 
tion still stand. In the center of the city is the old Norman castle, 
built about the time of the events we are now considering. 

This story relates the attempt to divide the land into three 
duchies, i. e., Mercia, Northumbria, Wessex, by the Earls of Here- 
ford and Norfolk and the Saxon Waltheof . It is the final struggle 
against the Norman and was crushed under the leadership of the 
Bishop of Worcester. 

Reign of William Rufus 

On his deathbed William the Conqueror expressed in a letter 
to Archbishop Lanfranc his wish that his second son William suc- 
ceed him on the throne. Robert, an older son, was the lawful heir 
from the standpoint of hereditary right. Returning to England 
William was crowned king practically on the authority of the 



134 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Archbishop. He was energetic and impulsive, but did not possess 
the persistent determination that characterized his father. He put 
into execution oppressive measures and subjected land-holders 
to every form of tyranny, ignored the wills of the dead and spent 
his extorted money upon a mercenary army. Following the death 
of Lanfranc ne made bishops of men wholly unworthy of the 
office. He virtually bought Normandy and added it to his king- 
dom. He subjugated South Wales and defeated Malcolm III 
of Scotland in the latter's attempt to invade England. His ruthless 
taxation deprived the country of much cultivation, and was in 
every essential sense a bad king. 

The Stories 
Odo. 1900. Edwin Harris 

One of William's greatest struggles was with the barons. In 
the first year of his reign they revolted, their leader being Odo, 
bishop of Bayeux. Their object was to have him deposed and 
place his brother Robert upon the throne. He stormed their cas- 
tles and strongholds and drove Odo into exile. 

This story deals with these events. Rochester Castle, held by 
the followers of his brother Robert, is besieged by William. 

In the Days of Anselm. 1901. Gertrude Hollis 

The fame of Lanfranc, the prior of Bee, attracted Anselm and 
he became a monk of that monastery at the age of twenty-seven. 
When Lanfranc was given the abbocy of Caen Anselm was made 
the prior of Bee and held this office for fifteen years, and through 
his scholarly energies Bee became the most learned center in Eu- 
rope. It was during this period that he compiled his first philo- 
sophical and religious works, the dialogues on Truth and Free 
Will and his two famous works, the Monologion and Proslogion. 
The teachings of Anselm set forth the relation of reason to re- 
vealed truth, and thus elaborated a rational system of faith. While 
he held that faith must antedate knowledge he insisted that, faith 
being held, the reason for that faith must be demonstrated. 

After the death of Lanfranc William refused to appoint a suc- 
cessor and for five years sold the offices of the Church. He was 
then taken dangerously ill, and believing that death was at hand 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 135 

he began to make reparation for the wrongs he had committed 
against the Church, and among other things appointed Anselm 
as Archbishop. The latter tried to escape this responsibility but 
finally yielded to the demand. William did not die and became 
indignant with himself that the terrors of death had led him to 
make the concessions to the Church. The position taken by the 
latter was that the clergy owed allegiance to the Pope alone. Wil- 
liam charged Anselm with a lack of fidelity in his office, and for 
the balance of his reign sent him into banishment. A deadly con- 
flict continued between the Church and the State. 

In the Days of Anselm is a story of these times and conditions 
setting forth this conflict just referred to. It is a strong descrip- 
tion of the circumstances of the appointment of Anselm, one of the 
purest souls of the Middle Ages, to the Archbishopric. It carries 
the history to the death of Rufus. 

Gerald the Sheriff. 1906. Charles W. Whistler 

We have already sketched the oppressions of William, and 
the heavy hand he laid upon the barons who attempted to place 
Robert upon the throne. His chief minister was Ranulph Flam- 
bard, who afterwards became bishop of Durham, and who insisted 
that land was held from the crown only during the holder's life- 
time, and that the king had a right to make his own conditions in 
turning the land over to the heir. 

It is with these oppressions of the king and Ranulph that this 
story deals. The invasion of Anglesea (formerly Mona), and 
sea-fights figure in the story. 

The King's Stirrup. 1896. Mrs. E. H. Mitchell 

In August of 1 100 William joined a hunting party in the New 
Forest. He became separated from the rest of the party and his 
dead body was found by some peasants with an arrow piercing his 
heart. It was believed that a Frenchman, Walter Tyrell, shot 
him by accident. He took an oath that such was not the case, that 
he did not commit the deed. It is more likely that he met his 
death at the hand of some peasant who was one of the many vic- 
tims of his tyranny. The body was carried to Winchester and 
laid in the Cathedral, but it was refused the burial rites of the 
Church. 



136 HISTORICAL FICTION 

This story is a Tale of the Forest. It portrays William and 
describes the circumstances of his death in the New Forest. 
Henry, who succeeded William as Henry I, figures in the story, 
also Walter Tyrell, who was accused of having shot the king. The 
story deals with the oppressions of William as exhibited in the 
sufferings and privations of an Anglo-Saxon family. 

Reign of Henry I 

Henry was the Conqueror's youngest son. While selfish, he 
was a man of intelligence and ability. As soon as he was crowned 
he issued a Charter that guaranteed the freedom and rights of 
the people, the removal of unjust burdens from the Church and 
the cessation of evil customs that oppressed the land. He im- 
prisoned in the Tower Ranulph Flambard, who had been the chief 
minister of William's tyranny, and restored Archbishop Anslem. 
He married Edith, the daughter of Malcolm of Scotland, which 
was regarded with favor. Edith was of English royal blood. Her 
name was changed to Matilda. The barons, who attempted to 
escape from the oppressions of William by bringing Robert to 
the throne, attempted the same thing in the case of Henry, know- 
ing that he was a strict ruler. Under the easygoing Robert their 
power and liberties would have been greatly increased. Between 
these two parties the conflict waged for five years, but in the battle 
of Tenchebrai in 1106 Henry won a great victory, and shut Robert 
up in prison, where he remained until his death. 

In the course of this reign an English nobility was established 
as also many English liberties. Industries arose and commercial 
conditions improved. The courts were reformed and placed on 
a solid basis. 

The Story 

Pabo the Priest. 1899. Sabine Baring-Gould 

While Henry was improving the civil life and institutions the 
Church was not so fortunate. Anselm contended that the ecclesi- 
astical order should not be under the control of the State and 
should be given full right to govern her own affairs. This Henry 
was not willing to grant, and demanded the right to appoint bis- 
hops and invest them with their spiritual authority. The result 
was that Anselm was again sent into exile. He was recalled after 
three years and a compromise was effected by which the clergy 
had the right to elect their own bishops, but the election had to be 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 137 

made in the King's Court, and the bishops must do homage to the 
king for their lands. 

The author of this story ( 1834-) was born at Exeter. He was 
educated at Cambridge and became a clergyman of the English 
Church. Among his works are Iceland, Its Scenes and Sagas; 
Curious Myths of the Middle Ages; The Origin and Development 
of Religious Belief and his novels, Mahalah, John Herring, Court 
Royal, etc. 

In this story the author deals with the ecclesiastical conditions 
in the time of Henry I as related to the free Welsh Church. By 
placing this Church under his harsh government he hoped to break 
the resistance of the people who were a source of disturbance. The 
scene is laid in various places in Wales and Henry and De Wind- 
sor are among the characters. 

Reign of Stephen 

This reign was one extended period of crime and cruelty, 
misery and bloodshed. Taking advantage of the opposition to 
their monarch being a queen, as Henry I left no male heir, and 
before Matilda could be crowned, Stephen, the son of Adela, 
daughter of William the Conqueror, was crowned king. His reign 
was one of the darkest in English history. He won the support of 
the people by titles and promises. The barons returned to inde- 
pendence and power. They built castles and plundered the peasan- 
try. They sacked and destroyed towns, and for seventeen years 
the general disorder prevailed. 

The Stories 

The Serf. 1902. Cyril R. Gull 

The purpose of the author is to give a description of the state 
of society in the time of Stephen. It is not a beautiful picture. 
The times necessitated the reverse. It is a portrayal of the seamy 
side of that life. The outrage perpetrated by the lord is avenged, 
and he is put to a revolting death. 

For King or Empress. 1903. Charles W. Whistler 

When Stephen was crowned a large number of barons kept 
their oath to support the cause of the Empress Matilda and civil 
war broke out. In 1141 a synod at Winchester recognized Ma- 



138 HISTORICAL FICTION 

tilda as queen. She held the West. Disintegration resulted and 
England was reduced to a state of anarchy. Matilda was driven 
from the kingdom, but in 1153 her son Henry came to England 
with an army. To stop the war and restore order the Archbishop 
of Canterbury induced Stephen to name Henry as his heir, which 
he did, and thus the situation between the king and Matilda was 
compromised. 

This story has its setting in Somersetshire and Norwich. The 
central interest lies in the civil war just indicated. 

Armadin. 1908. Alfred Bowker 

Attention has already been called to the civil war that arose 
when Matilda asserted her claim to Normandy and England, hav- 
ing the support of many of the barons. This disturbed condition 
gave the barons the opportunity of fighting other nobles with whom 
they had private quarrels. It was a period of anarchy. Castles 
were besieged and when the master was captured he was deprived 
of food and exhibited to the besieged so as to induce the surrender 
of the castle. While the king alone was supposed to have the right 
to build strongholds, many nobles, especially during the reign of 
Stephen, built castles and fortified places without the permission 
or authority of any one. 

While Matilda retired from the contest her son Henry of Anjou 
continued the struggle with some success until the king was in- 
duced to accept Henry as his heir. Thus peace was secured, and 
in the Treaty of Wallingford Henry and Matilda took oaths of 
allegiance to Stephen, while Stephen's supporters did homage to 
Henry as the successor of Stephen. 

Bowker's story relates these facts of the civil war in the time 
of Stephen. It describes what has already been stated regarding 
the besieging of castles, giving the siege of Wolvesey Castle, the 
builder of which was Henry de Blois. The retirement of Matilda 
from the conflict, and the events of the struggle to the peace of 
Wallingford are set forth. 

A Legend of Reading Abbey. 1846. Charles 
MacFarlane 

Reading Abbey was founded by Henry I, in which he himself 
was buried in 1135. 

This story, like the preceding one, sets forth in a striking man- 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 139 

ner the conflict between Stephen and Matilda. These scenes are 
described as they are witnessed by a monk of Reading Abbey. 

Brian Fitz Count. 1887. Augustus D. Crake 

The chaotic state of the period, the cruelties attending the 
civil war, and the dominant features of this medieval life are set 
forth in this story. Bryan Fitz Count is a supporter of Matilda 
and her claims. The imprisonment and escape of the Empress 
are given as also the siege of Wallingford Castle. It is a realistic 
picture of these days of the barons and of castle building. 

III. THE ANGEVIN OR PLANTAGENET KINGS 
Historical Outline 

1. Henry II, 11 54-1 189. 

2. Richard I, 1189-1199. 

3. John, 1 199-12 16. 

4. Henry III, 1216-1272. 

5. Edward I, 1272-1307. 

6. Edward II, 1307- 1327. 

7. Edward III, 1327-1377. 

8. Richard II, 1 377-1 399. 

Henry II, the son of Geoffrey of Anjou and Matilda, was the 
first of a new line of kings. The name Angevin is derived from 
Anjou in France, which was the birthplace and inheritance of 
Henry. Plantagenet seems to have been derived from the fact 
that Henry's father wore a sprig of the broom flower planta gen- 
ista, either as a badge or because of his hunting expeditions over 
the heaths covered by this plant, and was given the name Geoffrey 
plante de genet. 

With this line of rulers England entered upon a new great de- 
velopment. From Henry II to King John the foundations were 
laid for national unity, and from the reign of Henry II to the be- 
ginning of the Hundred Years' War was carried forward the 
process of forming the people into a united nation. The develop- 
ments of this period were destined to exert a great influence upon 
the nation's future. 

Reign of Henry II 

As stated above, peace was concluded between Stephen and 
Henry by an oath of allegiance to the former and the paying of 



140 HISTORICAL FICTION 

homage to Henry as his successor, hence, being thus acknowledged 
by both sides he came to the throne as its only and rightful 
claimant. 

He was a man of an active, restless nature, and as the king of 
France said, "The king of England does not ride or sail, he flies." 
He was a man of striking physique, sympathized with suffering, 
was despotic and yet an advocate of justice, possessed a high- 
strung temperamental disposition, and was, by his unusual com- 
bination of qualities calculated to leave a deep impression upon his 
time. 

In both a military and civil way Henry compelled the barons 
to recognize him as the master of his kingdom. He organized a 
standing army. The estates of the barons were strongholds and 
had often shielded criminals by refusing an entrance to the royal 
officers. But Henry's statute of Clarendon required the barons 
to appear before the county courts, and not to hinder his officers 
from the discharge of their duty. 

Henry's last years were full of sorrow. His sons supported the 
barons against the king as did his wife Eleanor. When dying his 
servants robbed him of every valuable within reach. But not- 
withstanding this "his work lived after him. It was really he 
who brought baron and churchman alike under the sway of Eng- 
lish law, who saved England from feudal anarchy, and made jus- 
tice uniform and the king's arm effective through all the land." 

The Stories 

The Love Story of Giraldus. 1907. Alice 
Cunningham 

The great activity of the time of Henry was not confined to 
matters of state; it took also a literary form. The king sur- 
rounded himself with men of learning and various treatises ap- 
peared. Representative of these was Polycraticus by John of 
Salisburg in which educational, political and moral questions are 
discussed at length. 

The writers of history of the two preceding reigns had died out 
and a new group now appeared who were closely associated with 
Thomas Becket. Among these was Gerald de Barry, or Giraldus 
Cambrensis, as he called himself, whose work on Ireland and 
Wales described the military operations against them at that time. 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 141 

In this story this historian relates the facts. Disappointed in 
love he devotes himself to ecclesiastical interests. During this 
same period a body of verse appeared the author of which was 
Walter Map, Archdeacon of Oxford, in which he holds up to 
ridicule the vices of the time and particularly the irregularities of 
the clergy. This writer appears in the story. One of the leading 
figures is Eleanor, wife of Henry II. She was Eleanor of Aqui- 
taine and she brought to her husband her paternal heritage of 
Poitou, Guienne, and Gascony and thus greatly enlarged his do- 
minions. The narrator gives an excellent description of persons 
and events of the French Court. 



Dolphin of the Sepulchre. 1906. Gertrude Hollis 

The great quarrel of Henry's reign was with the claims of the 
Church. Since the days of Hildebrand the Church contended 
against royal jurisdiction. Henry declared the Church had no 
right to decide questions of property, which should be disposed of 
by the king's courts ; that it was too lenient in the punishment of 
the clergy and had no right to submit to the Pope matters that be- 
longed to English common law. In 1164 the Council of Clarendon 
was called for the discussion of these questions, the results of 
which was the document known as Constitutions of Clarendon. It 
restricted the rights of the Church, and required that suits be 
brought to the king's courts and declared against the right to appeal 
to the Pope from the Church courts without the special grant of 
the king. 

One of the first acts of Henry II was the appointment of 
Thomas Becket as his chancellor. He was acting as Archdeacon 
of Canterbury when Henry came to the throne, and was respon- 
sible for many of the reforms of the early part of Henry's reign. 
When he was made Archbishop of Canterbury by Henry he de- 
voted his energies wholly to these interests and resigned his chan- 
cellorship. When the Constitutions of Clarendon were drawn up, 
to which the king required Becket to put his seal, the latter de- 
clared, "Never, never, while there is a breath left in my body." 
Believing that his life was in danger, Becket went to France and 
Henry confiscated his estates and those of his friends and rela- 
tives. After six years he returned to England and was allowed 
to take charge of his office. He put into execution a system of 



142 HISTORICAL FICTION 

punishments, excommunications of those who had opposed him 
and had ravished his estates. 

When these acts were brought to the king, while he was in one 
of his fits of anger, for which he was noted, he cried out, "Will 
none of the cowards who eat my bread rid me of this turbulent 
priest ?" There is not sufficient grounds for the view that Henry 
intended by this statement the murder of Becket, but four of his 
knights so understood it and murdered the Archbishop in the cathe- 
dral of Canterbury. 

Henry took an oath declaring his innocence of the murder, gave 
large sums of money for religious purposes, extracted several im- 
portant clauses of the Constitutions of Clarendon and made a pil- 
grimage to the tomb of Becket, walking barefooted through the 
city, and submitted to the most humble penance. 

This story deals with Henry's conflicts with the Church precipi- 
tated by the Clarendon Constitutions. Becket holds the center of 
the stage. His fear that his life was in danger at the hands of the 
king's attendants which took him to France, and while there tried 
to induce the Pope to place England under an interdict, his return 
and subsequent murder in the transept of the cathedral, are leading 
events in the story. 

Fair Rosamond. 1839. Thomas Miller 

In the historical sketch above was noted the manner in which 
Henry's sons, in his last years, supported his enemies. His wife 
Eleanor, disguised as a man, did the same, and Henry deprived her 
of her liberty. 

The author in this story makes out that Henry at an earlier 
time had secretely married Rosamond Clifford. His portrayal of 
Eleanor is not flattering. The story also deals with the stirring 
events of Henry's conflict with the church, the strife between him 
and the Archbishop and the assassination of the latter. 

The Betrothed. 1825. Sir Walter Scott 

The author (1771-1832) was born in Edinburgh. He was a 
sickly child and contracted a lameness that remained with him 
through life. He chose the profession of law and practiced it with 
success for a time, but his interests were in literature. He pub- 
lished the first of the "Waverly" novels anonymously in 1815, but 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 143 

it became known, as others of the series appeared, that he was 
the author, and his fame was at once established. In 1826 he be- 
came associated with a friend in a publishing enterprise in Edin- 
burgh, which failed and he became bankrupted. To liquidate the 
heavy indebtedness in which this involved him he turned his abili- 
ties as a writer to account. Within two years' time he had paid 
over to his creditors the sum of nearly $200,000. His strength 
was overtaxed and in 1830 he had a stroke of paralysis and two 
years later died at Abbotsford. As a novelist he ranks with the 
foremost in this field. "Although many of his works are lax and 
careless in structure, yet if a final test in greatness in the field of 
novel writing be the power to vitalize character, very few writers 
can be held to surpass Sir Walter Scott." 

This story has its setting in the time of Henry II. The time 
is that of the Third Crusade, and the Archbishop is enjoining those 
who are in conflict in the border warfare to end these hostilities 
and unite their forces in the Crusade. Henry's son Richard Coeur 
de Lion accompanies his father to the siege of the Castle of Garde 
Doloureuse and takes it by storm. This castle was on the Norman 
frontier. The keeper of the castle has as his guest the Prince of 
Powys-Land, and a fierce conflict arises over the question of 
Gwenwyn marrying Lady Eveline Berenger. Sir Hugo de Lacy 
is the Constable of Chester and Lord of the Marches. His be- 
trothed is Lady Eveline Berenger, the heroine of the novel. Sir 
Hugo leaves her under the protection of his nephew, Sir Damian 
de Lacy, while he joins the Crusade. She falls in love with the 
nephew, but faithfully kept her troth with Sir Hugo until his re- 
turn. When he discovers that she loves the nephew he is generous 
and gives her her freedom. She marries the nephew. 

Reign of Richard I 

Richard Coeur de Lion ("Lion-heart") resembled his father, 
Henry II, in at least one respect — his uncontrollable temper and 
fits of anger. He was not equal to his father in statesmanship, 
but believed in justice and religion and was a skillful military 
leader. He has been called "a splendid savage." He was proud 
and cruel, but was not lacking in courage. 

At the close of Henry's reign the Mohammedans recaptured 
Jerusalem and a new Crusade was organized to take the Holy 
City out of their hands. Into this Third Crusade Richard threw 



144 HISTORICAL FICTION 

his zeal and energies and became its most prominent leader. He 
sold everything that could be sold to raise money for this expedi- 
tion, and set forth with the greatest army that had ever left Eng- 
land. He won victories but failed egregiously in accomplishing the 
restoration of Jerusalem. He quarreled with the King of France, 
his rival in this venture, and only succeeded in securing from the 
Sultan Saladin a truce which gave Christians the right of access 
to sacred places for a period of three years. 

On his return home he was shipwrecked and captured and held 
for a ransom by the emperor in Germany. His brother John 
bribed the emperor to hold him a prisoner, which he did for over 
a year, and the people were heavily taxed to pay the huge ransom. 
His last years were spent in wars with Philip of France. It was 
while he was besieging a castle that he was mortally wounded. 

The Stories 
Richard Yea-and-Nay. 1900. Maurice Hewlett 

Richard I was called Richard Yea-and-Nay because of his 
mercurial temperament, his readiness to change plans upon which 
he had fully determined. 

This story comprises history, adventure and characterization 
What has been said of the characteristics of Richard in the histor- 
ical sketch is exemplified in Hewlett's story. The adventures in 
connection with the Crusade are described. The personality of 
Richard is delineated and his relations with women are especially 
noted. He is exhibited as a man of strong passions, fiercely in 
love, mutinous towards his father, whose old age is portrayed. 
The heroine, Richard's lady-love, is sometimes contrasted with 
Berengaria of The Talisman, as far exceeding the latter as a 
romantic character. The story abounds in brilliant pageantry and 
people who are genuine flesh and blood. 

Ivanhoe. 1819. Sir Walter Scott 

This story was dictated to amanuenses while the author was 
enduring great physical suffering. It is a remarkable presenta- 
tion of medieval life. It is the most popular of his novels, and 
consequently, as Leslie Stephen notes, was Scott's culminating suc- 
cess in the book-selling sense. 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 



H5 



The scene is laid in England in the time of Richard I. Ivanhoe 
is the hero of the novel. He figures as the disinherited son of 
Cedric of Rotherwood, disinherited because of his. love for 
Rowena, the heroine. As the guardian of Rowena, Cedric had 
designed that she should become the wife of his son Athelstane 
the legitimate heir to the Saxon monarchy, which Cedric is plot- 
ting to restore. Rowena, however, prefers Ivanhoe. 

The hero accompanies Richard I to the Crusades. Upon his 
return to England he appears disguised as a palmer at a tourna- 
ment at Ashby and triumphs over Brian de Bois-Guilbert, who is 
a brave but cunning and dissolute commander of the Knights Tem- 
plar. After declaring Rowena queen of the tournament he casts 
aside his disguise. His father still rejects him and is befriended 
by the Jew, Isaac, and his beautiful daughter, Rebecca. 

Rebecca loves Ivanhoe, which she realizes is hopeless, knowing 
that he loves Rowena. The three are made prisoners and confined 
in a castle, and when Bois-Guilbert comes to her she spurns him. 
He demands that she be tried for sorcery and she demands a trial 
by combat, which being granted she chooses Ivanhoe as her cham- 
pion. Ivanhoe slays Bois-Guilbert and secures her freedom. 

The observations of Andrew Lang, the novelist, on this story 
are interesting and instructive. "Ivanhoe, like an honorable gen- 
tleman, curbs his passion for Rebecca and is true to Rowena, 
though we see that the memory of Rebecca never leaves his heart. 
Ivanhoe behaves as in his circumstances Scott would have be- 
haved instead of giving way to passion. It would have been more 
to the taste of today if the hero had eloped with the fair Hebrew, 
but then Ivanhoe and Rebecca are persons of honor and self-con- 
trol. I found in Scott's papers a letter from an enthusiastic 
schoolboy, a stranger — 'Oh, Sir Walter, how could you kill the 
gallant cavalier and give the lady to the crop-eared Whig?' This 
was the remark of the natural man. Scott kept the natural man in 
subjection." 

Robin Hood, the traditionary outlaw and popular hero, is in- 
troduced. The mysterious stranger appearing under various 
names, accomplishing wonderful feats, at length makes himself 
known to Richard I — "Call me no longer Locksley, my Liege, but 
know me under the name which, I fear, fame hath blown too widely 
not to have reached even your royal ears — I am Robin Hood of 
Sherwood Forest.'* 



146 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Reign of King John 

Richard had no children, hence John his next oldest brother 
then living claimed the throne. But Geoffrey, John's older brother 
who was dead, had a living son, Arthur, who according to the cus- 
tom of inheritance, had a prior right to the throne. The fact that 
he was a mere child and in France, and because the law of progeni- 
ture was not fully established, and John had long lived in England, 
were reasons why Richard preferred John to his nephew as his 
successor. The claims of Arthur, however, were supported by a 
large body of barons and the king of France. 

John was one of the worst kings of England. As one writer 
has said, "Sweeping verdicts are rarely just, but we can find no 
ground for thinking John less base than he is painted. He proved 
a traitor to his indulgent father, and to Richard who made every 
effort to win his love ; it is probable that he murdered the son of 
another brother. He betrayed in turn every class in the state — 
the barons, the clergy, the people." 

It was in the hope of securing Normandy that Philip Augustus 
of France supported the claims of Arthur. Following the refusal 
on the part of John to attend a feudal court the king of France pro- 
ceeded to take Normandy, Anjou, Maine and Poitou and these con- 
tinental possessions were lost to England, and John was thrown 
back wholly upon that kingdom. In everything he failed. He lost 
in his contest with Pope Innocent III ; in 121 5 an outraged nation 
confronted him at Runnymede and compelled him to sign the 
famous document, the Magna Charta, and thus was made to sub- 
mit to his subjects ; he denounced the charter and the barons of- 
fered the crown to Louis of France, but fortunately at this crisis 
John died, possibly, as Shakespeare depicts, of poison. His vices 
had united England ; his death reunited her in favor of his innocent 
son, Henry, against the foreign leader. 

The Stories 
Wolf's Head. 1899. E. Gilliat 

This story brings us into Sherwood Forest and the scenes asso- 
ciated with the outlaw, Robin Hood, and introduces that character 
as the Earl of Huntingdon. Another scene is that of Berkhamp- 
stead Castle. Following the battle of Hastings William the Con- 
queror, after taking Dover, Canterbury, Winchester, burned 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 147 

Southwark, crossed the river at Wallingford and occupied a 
strong position at Berkhampstead. King John and the death of 
Arthur is a leading interest in the story. As noted in the sketch 
Philip of France supported the claims of Arthur and prepared to 
lay siege to Chateau Gaillard built by Richard to bar the way from 
Paris to Rouen, the Norman capital. It was then that Prince 
Arthur fell into John's hands and was seen no more, and was 
doubtless murdered by John. 

Royston Gower. 1838. Thomas Miller 

Hubert Walter, Archbishop of Canterbury, died in 1205, and 
the monks of Canterbury elected a new archbishop which John 
opposed. The strife, in which the Pope was involved, continued 
for a considerable time and at last the Pope recommended the 
election of Stephen Langton. John refused to accept the Pope's 
nominee and insisted upon his own being elected. The Pope then 
laid England under an interdict. All religious services were or- 
dered to be suspended, also marriage ceremonies and the reading 
of burial services. John possessed little religious feeling and 
cared nothing about the people being thus deprived of these re- 
ligious ordinances and institutions. The bishops who obeyed the 
interdict he banished. When the Pope prepared to absolve the 
people from their allegiance to him, John realized that he had little 
or no support on the part of his subjects to oppose this measure, 
and hearing of plots being formed against him, surrendered to the 
Pope on every point, and agreed to accept the election of Langton 
as archbishop. 

This story has to do with this period of the Pope's interdict, 
and the scenes are laid in Sherwood Forest and Nottingham. 

Runnymede and Lincoln Fair. 1866. John G. Edgar 

The historical sketch above has outlined the disordered condi- 
tion into which John's reign plunged the country, the territorial 
losses and at last the compulsion brought to bear upon him in 
signing the Magna Charta. The latter event took place at Runny- 
mede, a meadow on the right bank of the Thames. Out in the 
river is a little island, and here it is said the actual signing took 
place. When John repudiated his signing of the charter the barons 



148 HISTORICAL FICTION 

offered the crown to Louis of France, but as the latter was prepar- 
ing to take it John died and his son Henry was crowned king. 
This did not stop Louis and he proceeded to take what had been 
offered him. At Lincoln and on the sea near Dover he met the 
English forces under William Marshall, Earl of Pembroke, and 
was defeated. Seeing that the nation was united on the new king, 
Louis gave way and retired. 

This story deals with this general state of things during John's 
reign and the conflict with Louis, and carries us into the reign of 
Henry III. 

The Constable's Tower. 1891. Charlotte M. Yonge 

Hubert de Burgh, the great justiciar, the last of the statesmen 
trained under Henry II, was dismissed by Henry III in 1232. In 
this story he is the Constable and the one who held Dover Castle 
against the siege of Louis of France as set forth in the statement 
above. It also describes the naval combat near Dover referred to. 

The reader is referred to Shakespeare's King John, the first 
of his historical dramas, the hero of which is King John. F. J. 
Furnival says that as long as John represented England, defied 
the foreigner and opposed the Pope he is a hero. But regarded 
from the standpoint of his moral character he is a coward and 
sneak. "See how his nature comes out in the hints for the murder 
of Arthur, his turning on Hubert when he thinks the murder will 
bring evil to himself, and his imploring Falconbridge to deny it." 

Reign of Henry III 

It was in the midst of the confusions brought about by John 
that Henry, at the age of nine, ascended the throne. His reign 
was one of the longest in English history, covering a period of 56 
years. He was a man of a refined and kindly disposition but 
lacked ambition and military ability, and independence in matters 
of judgment and the forming of a policy. He was neither depend- 
able nor trustworthy. This was exhibited in the manner in which 
he broke his promises. His marriage with Eleanor of Provence 
brought her relatives and attendants in large number to England 
looking for favors and offices in church and state at the hand of 
the king. By letting the Pope use England's credit for a war in 
Sicily an enormous debt accumulated. 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 149 

Unqualified to rule his people, in 1258 Parliament demanded 
that a committee of 24 be given the power of the king. He was to 
all intents and purposes deposed by this measure and Simon de 
Montfort rose to great power. When Henry decided to revoke 
these provisions the matter was finally submitted to the king of 
France, Louis IX, who decided in favor of Henry and in 1263 
war broke out. The king and his party were in the end victorious, 
Simon de Montfort was slain and peaceful conditions were re- 
stored and maintained until the death of Henry in 1272, 



The Stories 

The Rout of the Foreigner. 1910. Gulielma 
Zollinger 

It will be readily understood that such men as Peter, who was a 
Poitevin, and had been made bishop of Winchester and was at 
one time chancellor, and being for a long time the principal adviser 
of the king, would exert his influence in behalf of foreigners in 
securing them protection and appointment to office. 

This story deals with this situation setting forth the effect 
of this foreign occupation of the land as in the case of Eleanor's 
relatives and their dependents. Boniface of Savoy, the queen's 
uncle, became Archbishop of Canterbury. The result of Henry's 
liberal dealings with these foreigners was another swarm of rela- 
tives from Poitou on his mother's side by her second marriage. 
Large expenditures of money incurred by the foreign clerks whom 
Henry employed exasperated the English people, and so incensed 
had they become over this condition of things forced upon them 
that the queen herself, as she passed up the Thames, was attacked 
by Londoners, and her life was in danger. 

The historical sketch has indicated in what way Stephen Lang- 
ton was related to the strife between the Pope and King John and 
his final election to the Archbishopric. When Hubert de Burg was 
dismissed by Henry in 1232 Pierre des Roches and others from 
the king's continental state of Poitou gathered about the king, 
while such lawless foreigners as Falkes de Breaute held royal 
castles and defied Henry's ministers. All of these personages 
appear in the story. 



150 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Simon De Montfort. 1902. Edwin Harris 

Simon de Montfort's father was a noble of Aquitaine who 
became conspicuous for his persecution of the Albigenses. Simon 
came to England to claim the estates, the title to which came 
through his mother. He married the widow of William Marshall, 
Earl of Pembroke, who figured in the early part of Henry's reign. 
She was Henry's sister Eleanor and he feared his brother-in-law. 
Simon was a keen, ambitious, unscrupulous man and clearly saw 
that the time had come to give the people a larger place in the 
government. Thus he became the leader and champion of English 
liberties and was greatly loved by the people. When the Provi- 
sions of Oxford in 1258 so greatly curtailed the power and author- 
ity of Henry, Simon rose to power, and his friends came into pos- 
session of the great offices of state. In 1264 the nobles under 
Montfort took up arms to' force the king to carry out his promises, 
and in the battle of Lewes the latter was defeated and was com- 
pelled to accept humiliating terms. Montfort now assembled Par- 
liament (1265), which was the first Parliament at which repre- 
sentatives of the boroughs were present. Edward, Henry's son, 
who had ranged himself on the side of Simon, now took the king's 
cause and defeated Montfort in the battle of Evesham in 1265, in 
which Montfort was slain. The young and able prince made an 
agreement with the rebels called the Dictum of Kenilworth, and 
granted the reforms demanded. 

This story represents Montfort as an ambitious monster sac- 
rificing all rights and claims of others to his own unscrupulous 
demands. It sets forth the conflicts between the forces of Mont- 
fort and those of the king, the barons refusing to accept the rul- 
ings of Louis IX as given in the historical sketch, and the battle 
of Lewes in Kent in which Montfort was victorious. It sets 
forth the escape of Edward from his guards while out riding, and 
the gathering of his forces in support of the royal cause. It de- 
scribes the battle of Evesham in the following year and the defeat 
and death of Montfort. 

The Forest Prince. 1903. Bryan W.Ward 

This story deals with the same period and events. The wars 
of the barons, Edward, Montfort and the two great battles given 
above. 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 151 

The Red Saint. 1909. Warwick Deeping 

In this story the author sets forth the bad effects of foreigners 
flocking into the country as given in the historical sketch. Miracles 
are performed by the beautiful saint whose foes suffer retribution 
in the battle of Lewes. The three historical personages, the king, 
his son Edward, and Montfort appear in the story. 

De Montfort\s Squire. 1909. Frederick Harrison 

This period was famous for the many scholars that gathered 
about the universities and who occupied ecclesiastical positions. 
Men thought more deeply and clearly along certain lines than 
had been true of earlier periods of the middle ages, and learned 
Englishmen became famous lecturers at Paris, Bologna and other 
universities. Among these was Roger Bacon (1214-1294), one 
of the most profound and original thinkers of his day. He made 
such researches in physics that the ecclesiastics charged him with 
practicing "black art," and he was sent to Paris, where he was 
held in confinement for ten years, and after securing his liberty 
was again thrown into prison for a similar period. His great 
work, Opus Majus, discusses philosophy, religion, language, optics 
and experimental science. 

In this story this great scholar appears as one of the charac- 
ters, together with Montfort and Prince Edward. The two great 
battles of Lewes and Evesham are related as in the preceding 
stories. 

Reign of Edward I 

Edward I, son of Henry III, was born at Westminster. We 
have already noted the active part he took in the Barons' wars, 
first on the side of Simon de Montfort and afterwards in support 
of his father and his defeating Montfort in the battle of Evesham. 
He participated in a Crusade with Louis IX of France, which ac- 
complished nothing of importance, and it was while returning 
from Palestine that he learned of his accession to the throne. 
Upon reaching England in 1274 he was crowned. 

Two years following his coronation he began the conquest of 
Wales, and within eight years had annexed it to England. Edward 
was a constitutional reformer. He sought the good of England 
by permanent good government. He had passed through the 



152 HISTORICAL FICTION 

school of experience in being so actively connected with the inter- 
ests of his father and from this had gathered wisdom. He was as 
truly a great legislator as he was a constitutional reformer. The 
series of laws of this reign stand in the front rank of English 
statutes. It may be truly said that he was the greatest of Angevin 
kings. His great object was to bring under one government all 
the British Isles. "The thirteenth century was above all things the 
age of the lawyer and legislator, and in this field Edward's work 
may well challenge comparison with that of Frederick II of Sicily, 
and Louis IX and Philip IV of France." 

Following the damaging reign of John and that of his weak 
son, Henry III, Edward brought the nation to a state of order and 
curbed the power of the clergy. He is known as "the English 
Justinian" because of his beneficent influence upon the laws of his 
country. One of the most important events of his reign was the 
power conferred upon a Parliament to levy taxes, a Parliament in 
which the people of England were to be represented. 

The Stories 
The Lord of Dynevor. 1891. Evelyn Everett Green 

Wales, aided by its geographical conditions, had maintained a 
certain independence. The Welsh people had never forgotten 
that at one time they were the rulers of Britain in the days of their 
Celtic forefathers. Prince Llewellyn, a man of energy and ability, 
had ambitions for the independence of his country and the expul- 
sion of the English invader. Wales, however, was far from a state 
of high civilization ; a murder could be atoned for by the payment 
of a fine, and it was perfectly proper to put to death seamen 
wrecked on their coast. 

Edward concluded that the best way to solve the Welsh prob- 
lems was to annex Wales to England. In the treaty of Conway 
(1277) he compelled Llewellyn to release to him four border coun- 
ties, which he made English shires, and placed them under English 
legislation. In the rebellion that followed Llewellyn was slain. 
His brother David was drawn to the scaffold, hanged, beheaded 
and quartered. Wales was then annexed to England, and the son 
of Edward, who was born in Wales, was made the Prince of 
Wales. From that time the title has been conferred upon the 
heir to the English throne. 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 153 

This story deals with this period of Edward's conquest of 
Wales. The scene is laid about Dynevor and other castles, with 
Llewellyn as the leading figure. Edward and his children appear 
in the story. 

The Scottish Chiefs. 1810. Jane Porter 

Edward was brought into relations with Scotland on account 
of the matter of Scottish succession. When the Maid of Norway, 
granddaughter of Alexander III of Scotland, died, there were two 
claimants to the throne, Baliol and Bruce, and the Scottish estate 
being unable to decide the issue appointed Edward as the arbi- 
trator. He decided in favor of Baliol, who in turn gave Edward 
homage. In 1294 these relations were altered when Edward made 
war upon France and the latter formed an alliance with Scotland. 
Two years later Baliol was defeated at Dunbar and was forced 
to surrender his crown. The Scotch coronation stone was carried 
to London, and Scotland was placed under the English regent. 

Scotland, however, was not conquered. Sir William Wallace 
(1274-1305), one of the Scottish national heroes, entered into this 
contest. He was outlawed in early life, and in 1297 was placed 
at the head of a body of insurgents. He is described as a man of 
mighty frame and strength, a commander of men. While besieg- 
ing the castle of Dundee he heard that Surrey and Cressingham 
were advancing upon Stirling. He met them there and in the 
battle of Stirling Bridge totally defeated the English. He then 
conducted a series of raids into northern England, and was made 
the guardian of Scotland. At Falkirk in 1298 he was defeated 
by Edward after a brave resistance. For several years he carried 
on a guerrilla warfare, but in 1305 he was betrayed to the English 
near Glasgow, was taken to London, tried, condemned and exe- 
cuted for treason. 

Robert Bruce (1274-1329), another of the national heroes, be- 
fore his accession to the throne was known as Earl of Car rick. 
Previous to 1304 he was first on the Scottish, and then on the Eng- 
lish, side, but in that year he united with Lamberton against Ed- 
ward, who claimed the sovereignty of Scotland. In 1306 he mur- 
dered Comyn, the rival claimant, at Dumfries, and in the same year 
was crowned king at Scone. To dethrone Bruce Edward pro- 
ceeded to Scotland, but died on the way. 



i54 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The author of this story (1776-1850) was born at Durham, 
but at the age of four she removed with her family to Edinburgh, 
and was thus reared in Scotland. She had the privilege of know- 
ing Sir Walter Scott, and had the distinction of inspiring him to 
write Waverly. The Scottish Chiefs is regarded the best historical 
romance to the time of Scott. It became immediately popular and 
during the last century was a favorite book, especially in Scotland. 
Her special acquaintance with the Scottish localities added ele- 
ments of strength to her work. The historical inaccuracies of the 
story, and the peculiar form of speech in which she makes her 
characters converse, have in no manner affected the interest and 
enthusiasm with which the story is read. 

What has been set forth in the historical sketch, the conflict 
between Scotland and England, constitutes the historical setting 
of the work. The wife of Wallace, Marion, was murdered by the 
governor of Lanark. This deed so enraged Wallace that he gath- 
ered his followers about him to fight for Scotland's freedom. 
That night he and his men fell upon the garrison of Lanark and 
Wallace buried his sword in the body of his wife's murderer. 
They capture castles and fight bloody battles. Disguised as a 
harper, Wallace goes to the court of Edward and effects the escape 
of Bruce, and both go to France to rescue Helen Mar, who had 
been abducted. She is the heroine of the romance. She loves 
Wallace, but knowing his devotion to his murdered wife plays 
the part of a sister. On the day of his execution Wallace marries 
her, saying, "Oh, Helen, thy soul and Marion's are indeed one; 
and as one I love ye!" When Bruce is crowned in 1306, the fol- 
lowing year, so great is her grief by the past it recalls, that she 
dies. 

In Burns' "Scots Wha Hae," the spirit of that early day is 
clearly expressed: 

Scots, wha hae wi' Wallace bled, 
Scots wham Bruce has aften led, 
Welcome to your gory bed 

Or to victorie ! 
Now's the day and now's the hour: 
See the front o' battle lour, 
See approach proud Edward's power — 

Chains and slaverie ! 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 155 

Wha will be a traitor knave ? 
Wha can fill a coward's grave ? 
Wha sae base as be a slave ? — 

Let him turn and flee ! 
Wha for Scotland's king and law 
Freedom's sword will strongly draw, 
Freeman stand or freeman fa', 

Let him follow me ! 

By oppression's woes and pains, 
By your sons in servile chains, 
We will drain our dearest veins 

But they shall be free ! 
Lay the proud usurpers low ! 
Tyrants fall in every foe ! 
Liberty's in every blow ! 

Let us do or die ! 



In Freedom's Cause. 1884. George A. Henty 

This story has its historical setting in the facts already set forth 
relative to the deeds of Wallace and Bruce. The capture of Lan- 
ark, the battle of Stirling Bridge, in which Wallace had a signal 
victory and the battle of Falkirk, where he was decidedly defeated 
but escaped, refusing the king's clemency. The story carries us 
into the reign of Edward II in setting forth the contest with 
Robert Bruce, the battle of Bannockburn and independence of 
Scotland. 



Castle Dangerous. 1831. Sir Walter Scott 

The Douglas family was an ancient noble family of Scotland, 
famous in Scotch history, romance and poetry. As Scott says, 
they often cast their coronet into the scale against the Crown. 
From William de Douglas (1175-1213) was descended "the good 
Sir James" who fought with Bruce at Bannockburn, and who, 
after Bruce's death, endeavored to fulfil his last request to carry 
his heart to the Holy Land. It never reached its destination, how- 
ever, but was brought back and buried in Melrose Abbey. "The 



156 HISTORICAL FICTION 

power of the family was so great that it was commonly said : 'No 
man may touch a Douglas, nor a Douglas 5 man for if he do he is 
sure to come by the worse'. The family continually engaged in 
feuds and warfare on the border, especially with the Percy fam- 
ily. A famous member of the family was Archibald, called Bell 
the Cat. At a meeting of nobles who were debating about a plan 
to get rid of one of the king's favorites, and who should do it, 
he started up exclaiming, 'I will bell the cat.' " 

This castle was a keep belonging to the Douglas family. In 
the conflict between the English and Bruce it changed hands re- 
peatedly, and was called "Castle Dangerous" by the English be- 
cause it was always retaken from them by the Douglas. 

In this story a young knight has laid upon him a condition 
by the lady whom he desires to marry. The condition is that he 
hold the Douglas Castle for a year and a day. If he succeeds in 
doing so she will become his wife. The English knight enters 
into combat with Sir James Douglas to secure the castle. At the 
same time a battle is in progress between Edward and Robert 
Bruce. When the word comes of Bruce's victory the knight sur- 
renders to Douglas and he is then commanded to surrender to his 
lady love. 

Reign of Edward II 

When Edward I died on his way to meet Bruce he left three 
commands for his son : First, to subdue Scotland ; second, to 
send his heart to the Holy Land; third, never to recall Piers 
Gaveston whom he had banished. All of these conditions he dis- 
regarded. 

There could scarcely be a greater contrast between two men 
occupying the same position than between Edward I and his son 
Edward II. The latter returned with the body of his father which 
was buried at Westminster, and deliberately recalling Gaveston 
and placing him at the head of the government he devoted him- 
self to revelry and all manner of excesses. 

During his reign he was either under the control of favorite 
ministers or that of insurgent barons. A parliament was finally 
called and he was charged with many offenses and incompetency, 
and was declared to be no longer king. Eight months later he 
was murdered in Berkeley Castle by order of Lord Mortimer. 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 157 

The Stories 

The Chevalier of the Splendid Crest. 1900. 
Herbert Maxwell 

Piers Gaveston was the son of a Gascon knight and a close 
companion of Edward in his early years. As already noted, in 
utter disobedience to his father's dying command Edward at once 
recalled him from his banishment and made him his minister. He 
lavished upon him every favor. Thinking himself secure in hav- 
ing the support of the king he displayed the most contemptuous 
attitude to the powerful lords. Parliament finally took the gov- 
ernment from Edward and sent Gaveston to Ireland. He soon 
returned and fell into the hands of Lancaster and other nobles 
who, without granting him a regular trial, took him to Blacklow 
Hill and beheaded him (1312). 

In Maxwell's story Piers Gaveston is made to play the part 
of the knave and scoundrel. Edward is also one of the histor- 
ical personages. While the king was spending his time in rev- 
elry Robert Bruce was conquering all the territory that had been 
lost under Edward I. At last, roused by the fact that Bruce was 
about to march over the border he raised an army, greatly in 
excess of the Scotch army, and met Bruce at Bannockburn near 
Stirling. Bruce dug pits in front of his position so that when 
the English cavalry charged, the horses fell into these and the 
English forces were thrown into hopeless disorder. In the midst 
of this confusion a body of Scotch camp followers, pre-arranged 
by Bruce, started from an adjacent hill, and the English believing 
it to be an additional army beat a hasty and scattered retreat, leav- 
ing 30,000 dead on the field. The independence of Scotland was 
won. This was the year 13 14. These events are taken up in this 
story with interesting details of the battle and the field of Ban- 
nockburn. 

The Siege of Leed's Castle. 1906. Edwin Harris 

Following the death of Gaveston, already set forth, the Des- 
pensers became the favorites of Edward. They belonged to the 
old nobility of England. Bestowing upon them land and power 
Edward purchased their support and for years they virtually 
ruled the kingdom. Hugh de Spenser and his father supported 



158 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Edward against Lancaster. They were driven by the barons 
from the land but soon returned and civil war broke out. In 1322 
Lancaster, who had executed Gaveston, met his death at the 
hands of Edward. 

This story deals with this rebellion. Leed's Castle held by 
Sir John Colepeper is besieged by the king's forces and finally 
surrenders. At Boroughbridge the insurgent lords under Badles- 
mere are defeated, and the leaders, Lancaster and Colepeper, are 
hanged and quartered. 

Dudley Castle. 1904. C.G.Gardner 

Edward's wife, Isabella, was the sister of the French king. 
Suffering much at the hands of Edward she took her child to 
France. She returned at the head of an army, with her favorite 
nobleman, Lord Mortimer, to overthrow her husband and crush 
the Despensers. The latter fell into her hands and she executed 
them causing them to endure horrible tortures. Edward had fled 
with them to Wales but he was captured. As already noted, 
Parliament declared him unfit to reign and his son was proclaimed 
king. While Edward lived his wife and Mortimer were not safe. 
They tried to put him out of the way by exposing him to disease 
over a charnel-house, but failing in this they murdered him in his 
bed in Berkeley Castle. 

This story, like the preceding one, has its historical background 
in this struggle between the barons and the king. It sets forth 
the defeat of Lancaster, and strongly portrays the parts played 
by Despenser, the queen and Mortimer. 



CHAPTER IV 
THE CRUSADES 

The religious conflicts carried on during the Middle Ages be- 
tween the Christian nations of Western Europe and the Moham- 
medans of Eastern Europe and Western Asia were called Cru- 
sades. Their object originally was to obtain free access for pil- 
grims to the Holy Sepulchre, but they developed into a contest 
for possession of Jerusalem itself. 

While the Mohammedan persecution of Christian pilgrims 
was an important cause it would be a mistake to suppose that it 
was the only cause of the Crusades. It might not be far from 
the truth to say that they were the occasion for the vigorous life 
of the time to find expression in chivalry and activity, and, of 
course, religious sentiment. "The Crusades were a new chapter 
in the long warfare of Christendom with Mohammedanism. In 
the Middle Ages there were two worlds utterly distinct — that of 
the Gospel and that of the Koran. In Europe, with the excep- 
tion of Spain, the Gospel had sway ; from the Pyrenees to the 
mouths of the Ganges, the Koran. The border contests between 
the two hostile parties on the eastern and western frontiers of 
Christendom were now to give place to a conflict on a larger 
scale during centuries of invasion and war." 

The Crusades awakened a profound enthusiasm in all classes, 
yearning for a broader theater of action, their energies cramped by 
their narrow confines in the overcrowded state of Europe. Princes 
and nobles entered into this enthusiasm, both to crush the Moham- 
medan and to distinguish themselves in military action. The 
Crusades covered a period of nearly two centuries. They are 
divided into seven as follows : 

First, 1095-1099. Led by Godfrey of Bouillon, and preached 
up by Peter the Hermit 

Second, 1147-1149. Led by Louis VII and the Emperor Kon- 
rad, at the instigation of St. Bernard. 

Third, 1189-1192. Led against Saladin, the Sultan of Syria 

159 



160 HISTORICAL FICTION 

and Egypt, by Richard Coeur de Lion of England and Philip 
Augustus of France. 

Fourth, 1 202- 1 204. Led by Baldwin of Flanders and the 
Doge of Venice. 

Fifth, 1 228- 1 229. Led by Ferdinand II, Emperor of Ger- 
many. 

Sixth, 1 248- 1 254. Seventh, 1270. Led by Louis IX of 
France. 

While these Crusades failed to accomplish their main object 
and the Mohammedan was left in possession of Jerusalem, they 
did not fail to greatly influence modern civilization. In this move- 
ment millions of lives were sacrificed, and much that was done 
in the name of Christ was wholly antithetical to modern ideas of 
Christianity and humanity. The warriors went forth wearing 
over their armor the symbol of the Cross, hence the meaning of 
the word Crusade, derived from the Latin crux, signifying a 
cross. 

The Various Crusades 

The Crusaders. 1905. Alfred J. Church 

Peter the Hermit had accompanied other pilgrims to Jerusalem, 
and on his return had given such a description of the wretched 
condition of Christians in the East to Pope Urban II as to enlist 
his support and influence in their behalf. In 1095 the Pope pre- 
sented the matter to the Council of Clermont in a manner that 
seized upon the sympathy, enthusiasm and imagination of all 
Europe. The result was that armies were at once organized and 
in 1096 started for the East. Among the leaders were Godfrey 
of Bouillon, Baldwin his brother, Robert of Flanders, Robert of 
Normandy, Raymond of Toulouse. They conquered Nicea and 
marched upon Antioch which they took in 1098, and from there 
proceeded to Jerusalem, their number reduced to about 20,000 
men. After a bitter struggle the city was captured and Godfrey 
of Bouillon was made ruler of the city 

This story gives a general view of the Crusades from their 
inception by the preaching of Peter the Hermit to the Crusade of 
St. Louis. In 1248 Louis IX at the head of a French army started 
for Egypt. They took Damietta. They were then defeated, most 
of the army taken prisoners including the king whose ransom re- 
quired the surrendering of Damietta and a great sum of money. 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 161 

In 1270 he made another expedition and reached the northern 
coast of Africa. At Tunis he and many of his knights died of the 
plague. 

These expeditions are set forth in Church's story. The first 
two Crusades are described by the Wandering Jew. Assuming 
the responsibility for the death of Jesus he is condemned to wan- 
der over the earth till the Second Advent of Christ. He partic- 
ipates in many of the great events of history : he is at the burn- 
ing of Rome in A. D. 64 ; he heads the Jewish revolt in Palestine 
and is present at the fall of Jerusalem, A. D. 70 ; he leads Alaric 
against Rome ; he induces Mohammed to inflict punishment upon 
the Christians for maltreating the Jews ; he conducts the Crusaders 
to Jerusalem to drive the Saracen from the Temple which they 
had profaned. 

The First Crusade 

God Wills It. 1902. William Stearns Davis 

At Clermont in France, Pope Urban II addressed an open-air 
gathering of thousands of people urging them to organize a Cru- 
sade against the Saracen. He declared that Christ himself would 
lead them to Jerusalem. He exhorted them to bring their wars 
and discords to an end and devote their energies to the wresting 
of the Holy Land from the accursed race, and for this they would 
receive an everlasting reward. So aroused was the great assembly 
by these words from the head of the Church that they cried out, 
"God wills it ! God wills it !" To this the Pope replied, "When 
you go forth to meet the enemy this shall indeed be your watch- 
word, 'God wills it'/" 

This will explain the title of the author's story. This tale of 
the First Crusade details the adventures of a young Norman who 
joins the Crusade as atonement for a crime he had committed. 
He marries a Byzantine princess who again is stolen from him 
by the Egyptian Emir. It is while the French are storming Jeru- 
salem under Godfrey that he again finds his wife under most un- 
usual circumstances. 

Count Robert of Paris. 1831. Sir Walter Scott 

It was during the reign of Alexius Comnenus (1081-1118), 
when Christian Europe became alarmed over the advance of Mo- 
hammedan power, that the Crusade movement began. 



162 HISTORICAL FICTION 

This is a story of the First Crusade. The hero, Count Robert 
of Paris, is a French nobleman. His wife Brenhilda accom- 
panies him. He is in the camp of Alexius Comnenus, Emperor 
of Greece, at Scutari where also is Hereward, a Saxon Crusader, 
one of the emperor's guards. In a combat with battleaxes Here- 
ward is vanquished by Count Robert. He then enlists under the 
latter's banner. It is a happy situation for him, however, as he 
makes the discovery that Agatha, the maid of Brenhilda, is his 
Saxon lady-love Bertha. The hero participates in the siege and 
capture of Constantinople. 

The Third Crusade 

The immediate cause of the Second Crusade was the conquer- 
ing of Edessa and putting its garrison to the sword by the viceroy 
of Mosul, the ruler of the confederated Mohammedan states of 
Syria. This outrage enlisted the powers of Saint Bernard, abbot 
of the Cistercian monastery of Clairvaux, who became the preach- 
er of this Crusade. He was the most important figure of the 
twelfth century. So great was his influence that two monarchs, 
Conrad III of Germany and Louis VII of France, were inspired 
by him to conduct this new Crusade. 

They passed down the valley of the Danube and crossed Bul- 
garia to Constantinople. The expedition was so miserably man- 
aged that it was an egregious failure. The Germans perished in 
Asia Minor at the hand of the Turks and the hardships endured, 
while the French army that was compelled to make the journey 
by land was practically destroyed. Of the two great armies only 
a few reached Palestine. 

These losses by poor management had a salutary effect in the 
organization of the Third Crusade. Greater care was taken to 
eliminate the causes of such lamentable losses. The capture of 
Jerusalem in 1187 by Saladin aroused all Europe and called for 
another Crusade. All sorts of privileges and benefits were prom- 
ised those who would enlist. Richard I of England, Philip Augus- 
tus of France and Frederick I of Germany, the three most power- 
ful kings of Europe, undertook the conduct of this Crusade. 
While crossing a mountain torrent in Asia Minor Frederick was 
drowned which disorganized completely the German expedition. 

The other two expeditions were delayed by the quarrel be- 
tween Richard and Philip. At Messina the two leaders agreed 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 163 

to unite their forces, but the quarrels between them were re- 
newed, and after the taking of Acre Philip returned to France. 
He had taken an oath that he would not invade any of Richard's 
territories during his absence, which he broke as soon as oppor- 
tunity arose. Richard advanced within sight of Jerusalem when 
he was compelled to withdraw. He then received word that his 
brother John had joined Philip in a rebellion against him and he 
set out for home. Trying to make his way through Germany in 
disguise he was recognized and was imprisoned by the duke of 
Austria whom he had offended, and was held in captivity for two 
years. 

Aside from a truce concluded with Saladin covering a period 
of three years, during which time pilgrims should be free to visit 
the Holy Sepulchre, and that the seacoast should belong to the 
Crusaders, the Crusade accomplished nothing. 

The Stories 

The Talisman. 1825. Sir Walter Scott 

This is one of the most popular of the author's tales. It is 
full of color, mystery, plot and counter-plot. The acts of Ken- 
neth of Scotland in protecting Richard against his enemies are 
full of life and vigor. He fights bravely against Saladin, but falls 
a victim to a jest played by Berengaria, queen consort of Richard, 
and is handed over to Saladin by Richard. He returns disguised 
as a Nubian slave and saves Richard's life from an assassin, and 
champions the cause of Richard in a trial by combat with the 
traitor, Conrad of Montserrat. Casting off his disguise he be- 
comes the suitor of Edith of Plantagenet. Edith is a kinswoman 
of Richard and attendant upon Berengaria. 

Saladin, the Sultan of Egypt and Syria and founder of the 
Ayubite dynasty, is Richard's chief adversary. As strong men 
they admired each other. Saladin was fond of disguising him- 
self and seeking adventures. He appeared in the disguise of 
Hakim a physician, and visits Richard in his sickness. He gave 
him a medicine in which the "talisman" had been dipped, and 
the king recovered. He appeared in disguise as Sheerkohf of 
Kurdistan when he fought with Kenneth. He presided over the 
trial by combat when Kenneth vanquished Conrad of Montserrat. 
Of him Hazlitt says : "Of all Sir Walter's characters the most 



164 HISTORICAL FICTION 

dashing and spirited is the Sultan Saladin. But he is not meant 
for a hero, nor fated to be a lover. He is a collateral and inciden- 
tal performer in the scene. His movements therefore remain 
free, and he is master of his own resplendent energies, which pro- 
duce so much the more daring and felicitous an effect." 

The hero of the story is David, Earl of Huntington, who as- 
sumes the name of Kenneth of Scotland and enters the service 
of Richard in Palestine. The story strongly contrasts the Oriental 
with the Occidental character. 

The Assassins. 1902. Nevill M. Meakin 

In this romance of this Crusade an Arab is the hero. He is 
under allegiance to the Sheik of the Mountain who is the chief 
of the assassins. The three historical personages, Saladin, Philip 
Augustus and Richard play their parts. The story is distinctive 
for color and action. 

Winning His Spurs. 1897. George A. Henty 

This juvenile story describes the adventures of a boy begin- 
ning at Evesham in England and extending to the continent and 
Palestine. The fervent preaching stimulating an interest in the 
new Crusade, when word came of the capture of Jerusalem by 
Saladin, is related. It sets forth the events in connection with 
the crusading armies and describes Richard's capture by the Duke 
of Austria and his return home. The queen consort also appears. 

Brothers in Arms. 1884. F. B. Harrison 

This story carries us through this Crusade from the taking of 
Messina and sacking it by Richard, to the capture of Acre and 
the return to Europe. It then describes the quarrels and feuds 
carried on between the ancient family of Douglas in Scotland 
and the Percy family and others. 

The Children's Crusade 

Between the greater Crusades were minor expeditions. Of 
the latter the Children's Crusade was the most remarkable. In 
1 21 2 it is estimated that about 50,000 boys and girls were enlisted 
in this unusual expedition. A band of German children made their 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 165 

way to the Mediterranean, great numbers dying by the way. Few 
of this company returned home. The French expedition met at 
Marseilles. They were induced by merchants to take passage on 
their ships under promise that they would be carried to Palestine. 
Two of the ships were wrecked, and the children on the other 
ships were sold as slaves in Alexandria. 

The Story 

The Sign of Triumph. 1904. Sheppard Stevens 

This is a story of the French expedition which is estimated 
at about 30,000 children. Their adventures and subsequent slav- 
ery are related. 

Notwithstanding the fact that the Crusades failed to accom- 
plish the end for which they were instituted they nevertheless 
contributed to the civilization of the age materially, politically 
and intellectually. Through the transportation of crusaders and 
their supplies the Italian cities greatly developed in wealth. Prutz 
the historian declares that "It was not simply during the Crusades, 
but as a result of them, and of the commerce which they had 
called into being, that money became a power — we might almost 
say a world-power." 

Again, the Crusades contributed to the modification of the 
political and social organization of Europe. The feudal nobles, 
particularly in France, lost much of their power by the loss of 
their people and resources, and the lower classes became greatly 
stronger and social progress was enhanced. 

In matters of thought and culture it may be said that the in- 
fluence of the Crusades was most important and enduring. The 
civilization of the Saracens was in some respects much higher 
than that of the western world. In their intercourse with the 
Greeks and Saracens the crusaders discovered a higher conception 
of things than what they had been accustomed to. New ideas and 
new habits they had picked up they brought back home and put 
to use and thus gave them extension. England profited by the 
Crusades in a special degree. Isolated as she was the Crusades 
brought her into the general life of Europe and that, too, at a time 
when these nations were being stirred by the same great interests. 



CHAPTER V 

ITALY. TO THE HUNDRED YEARS' WAR 

To the title Roman Empire was added the word Holy by Fred- 
erick Barbarossa. Thus Holy Roman Empire was the name given 
to the State established by Charlemagne. While theoretically all 
Christian countries of Western Europe were included in the Holy 
Roman Empire, as a matter of fact only Italy and the countries 
that acknowledged the king of Germany constituted it. 

By the treaty of Verdun (843) Lothair secured Italy, and until 
the middle of the tenth century the country was in a state of po- 
litical chaos. It became a prey to corrupt local nobles, and the 
papacy, suffering under like conditions, was incapable of defend- 
ing her. 

In 951 Otto I led an army into Italy to restore order, and in 
962 was crowned Emperor by the Pope. This relation between 
Italy and Germany was injurious to the former as it destroyed 
all hope of nationality in her political organization. 

When the death of Otto III occurred in 1002 the male line of 
Otto the Great ceased and the crown fell to Henry II ( 1002-1024) . 
From this time antagonism to German domination became active 
and revolts were frequent. City states were formed such as 
Genoa, Pisa, Milan, Florence and Venice, and Frederick I sur- 
rendered all rights as pertaining to the Lombard League. 

In the eleventh century the two factions arose known as the 
Guelphs and the Ghibellines taking opposite sides regarding Ger- 
man rule, and finally the Hohenstaufen Dynasty, that ruled Ger- 
many from 1 1 38 to 1268, came to an end. With the overthrow 
of the dynasty the kingdom of the Two Sicilies was secured by 
Charles of Anjou. 

In 131 2 when Henry VII attempted to restore the German 
rule it was defeated by the Guelphs. In this attempt he abandoned 
the policies of his predecessors and wasted his energies on an 
Italian expedition which cost him his life (1313). 

From about the beginning of the Hundred Years' War (1337) 

166 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 167 

to the close of the fifteenth century the history of Italy consists 
of records of strong cities and leading families who held control, 
while the lesser cities lost distinction. 



The Stories 

The Sorceress of Rome. 1907. Nathan Gallizier 

Otto III was but three years old when his father died, and 
during the period of his minority his mother and afterwards his 
grandmother acted as regents. When he was declared of age lie 
was crowned Emperor. Otto was a dreamer, combining, re- 
ligious fervor with dreams of empire. He was quite devoid of 
practical abilities. Leaving Germany he made Rome his capital 
which was quite in line with his imperial ideals. Here he estab- 
lished an elaborate court system in the way of officials and lofty 
ceremonies. Rebellious tendencies prior to his coronation again 
broke out. Instead of handling the situation with courage and 
force he was stung by what appeared to him as ingratitude on the 
part of the Romans, and in this frame of mind wandered about 
Italy until his death. 

This story presents to us the plot of Stephania the attractive 
wife of Crescentius the Roman senator. Infatuated by her beauty, 
Crescentius permits his wife to lead Otto on so as to encompass 
his death and thus free Rome from German rule. She grows to 
love him but follows the dictates of patriotism and betrays him. 
In the revolution that follows the Germans are defeated. Over- 
whelmed by the act of Stephania Otto hangs her husband and 
escapes to Paterno. To this place Stephania follows him, and 
finding him ill reveals to him her real love for him, then poisons 
him and herself as retribution to the spirit of her husband. 

The Pilgrim. 1910. Arthur Lewis 

Gregory is the name of sixteen Popes and two antipopes. 
Gregory VII was elected to the papacy in 1073 and was Pope for 
twelve years. His object was to establish a theocracy giving the 
Pope sovereign power both in ecclesiastical and political affairs. 



168 HISTORICAL FICTION 

His principles are set forth in a memorandum found among his 
papers in which he laid down the nine propositions : 

i. The Roman pontiff alone may rightly be called "universal". 

2. He only can depose and reinstate bishops. 

3. He only can establish new laws for the Church and unite 
or divide dioceses. 

4. No council or synod, without his approval, can be called 
general. 

5. No earthly person may call the pope to trial or pronounce 
judgment on him. 

6. No one who appeals to the papacy may have sentence passed 
against him by any other tribunal. 

7. The Roman Church has never erred, and never shall err. 

8. The Roman Pontiff has the right to depose Emperors. 

9. He may absolve the subjects of unjust princes from their 
allegiance. 

Gregory's whole conduct was the exemplification of these 
principles. In 1075 ^ e abolished lay investiture and thus cut off 
the authority of the princes over the clergy. This decree Henry 
IV refused to accept, and Gregory summoned the emperor to ap- 
pear before a council at Rome to meet the charges made against 
him. Henry in turn called upon a council at Worms to depose 
the Pope, and the latter excommunicated the emperor. 

This measure placed Henry in such a difficult situation that 
at Canassa he yielded to the Pope, submitted to a humiliating pen- 
ance and was given absolution. Gregory declared that for three 
days, with bare feet and clad in wool Henry stood before the 
gates of the castle before he would admit him to his presence. This 
was the greatest victory the papacy ever won over the temporal 
power, but retaliation came when Henry caused the Pope to be 
deposed by the Council of Brixen and an antipope, Clement III, 
to be elected (1080). For three years Gregory remained a pris- 
oner in the castle of Saint Angelo, but was liberated and died in 
retirement. His last words were, "I have loved justice and hated 
iniquity, therefore I die in exile." 

This story, The Pilgrim, deals with these events of the time of 
Gregory VII. It portrays the grandeur of the Pope's Court and 
describes the contest between him and Henry IV. 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 169 

A Son of the Emperor. 1909. Newton V. Stewart 

In 1209 Frederick II took over the government of Lower Italy 
and Sicily, but it was not until 121 2 that he was crowned emperor. 
The two tasks he set before himself were the subjugation of Lom- 
bardy and the bringing of all Italy under the crown, and confining 
the Popes to their religious office. He was involved in constant 
trouble in Germany and Italy, but he was one of the ablest Ger- 
man emperors. 

We have already referred to the two factions, the Guelphs 
and Ghibellines. The quarrels of these factions began as a strug- 
gle of rival families, but it developed into a warfare of contend- 
ing principles. The Ghibelline faction was the Hohenstaufen 
party and contended for a strong monarchical government and 
for imperial rule over Italy. The Guelphs, on the other hand, 
stood for the very opposite — opposition to the monarchy and the 
freedom of Italy. "Broadly speaking, the Guelphs were papal- 
ists, the Ghibellines imperialists ; the Ghibellines were the party 
who desired a strong government, the Guelphs the party who pre- 
ferred particularism ; the Ghibellines would bring in the German, 
the Guelphs would cry Ttaly for the Italians.' " 

In the midst of these conflicting conditions Frederick main- 
tained himself in Italy with success supported nobly by his son 
Conrad. When a revolt was stirred up in Germany by the en- 
emies of the emperor, Conrad succeeded in holding many of the 
nobles and most of the cities true to their allegiance to his father. 

In 1239 Frederick came into an open rupture with the Pope, 
"and there began the last stage of the fatal struggle of papacy 
and empire, which brought political ruin to both powers." The 
Pope excommunicated the emperor and called a council to be 
held at Rome which Frederick prevented by capturing the fleet 
that had on board most of the commissioners. 

Finally misfortunes came upon the emperor. His camp was 
captured, then his favorite son Enzio was taken captive and suf- 
fered imprisonment for a considerable period. In 1250 Frederick 
was seized by a disease and died after a brief illness. 

In this story the author sets forth the disturbing conditions of 
this period in Italy relative to the opposing contentions of the 
Guelphs and Ghibellines. The conflict between the papacy and 
political forces is also given. The enterprises of Frederick, his 



170 HISTORICAL FICTION 

dominating ambition to unite Italy under the imperial rule are de- 
scribed and strongly presents the support that Frederick received 
from his son Conrad in the accomplishment of these plans. It 
details the facts relating to Frederick's favorite son Enzio in- 
cluding his capture and imprisonment. 

Castel Del Monte„ 1905. Nathan Gallizier 

When Frederick II died the Hohenstaufen Dynasty was draw- 
ing to an end. His reforms died with him, and in the hands of his 
successors his empire crumbled away. To secure his inheritance 
in Italy his son Conrad IV was compelled to abandon Germany. 
He reigned but four years. For twenty years Germany was given 
up to the anarchy of the Great Interregnum, during which robber 
barons ruled by "the law of the fist", and no king was universally 
recognized. In Italy Conrad maintained himself until his death 
-in 1254. 

After the death of Frederick the Pope refused to recognize 
the Hohenstaufen house, but after the death of Conrad, Manfred, 
a half-brother, kept the dynasty alive until 1266 when- he fell in 
the battle of Benevento. The hopes of the Hohenstaufens now 
centered in Conradin, son of Conrad IV. To crush this last hope 
the Pope made a treaty by which the crown of Silicy should be 
given to Charles of Anjou, brother of the French king. Conradin 
brought a small army into Italy in 1268. Charles met this army 
and defeated it. He then seized the young king and beheaded 
him, and thus brought to an end the house of Hohenstaufen. 

This story deals with these closing years of this house. It 
describes the plotting against it especially when Manfred came to 
the throne. It sets forth the progress of the conspiracies to the 
battle of Benevento in 1266. 

The Hill of Venus. 1912. Nathan Gallizier 

There were three orders that arose for the purpose of defend- 
ing the Holy Land against the Saracen. They were the Order of 
Teutonic Knights, the Knights Templar and the Knights Hos- 
pitaler of St. John. The first was composed of Germans while 
the other two consisted mainly of French. "The Hospitalers 
wore a white cross on a black mantle, the Templars a red one on 
white, and the Teutonic Knights a black cross on a white ground. 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 171 

The members of these orders were monks, vowed to poverty, 
chastity and obedience ; but they were also knights of noble birth, 
trained to arms and bound to perpetual warfare against the in- 
fidel. They constituted a permanent force of military monks res- 
ident in the Holy Land, with their own grand masters, fortresses, 
domains and treasuries. In course of time they acquired immense 
possessions in Europe also. After the end of the crusading epoch 
the Knights Hospitaler, taking refuge in Cyrus, in Rhodes and 
finally in Malta, preserved an independent existence until the close 
of the eighteenth century." 

In this story the son of the Grand Master of the Knights Hos- 
pitaler is compelled by his father to become a monk. He was born 
out of wedlock and his becoming a monk was in expiation of the 
sin pertaining to his birth. The historical background is largely 
that of the preceding story by the same author, such as the battle 
of Tagliacozzo in which Charles of Anjou defeated Conradin fol- 
lowed by the beheading of the latter. Those who were directly 
connected with the fall of the Hohenstaufen house are introduced. 

The God of Love. 1909. Justin H. McCarthy 

Beatrice Portinari (1266-1290), the poetical idol of Dante, 
was the daughter of a wealthy citizen of Florence. When Dante 
first met her in her home she was nine years of age. He saw her 
but once or twice and of him she probably knew very little. Dante 
was about the same age as Beatrice when he first saw her, and the 
love she awakened in him he has described in the New Life which 
is an account of his early years. 

In his great poem, the Divina Commedxa, the shade of Vergil 
appears and conducts him through the "Infernal Regions". Be- 
yond this Vergil may not go, but Beatrice will conduct him through 
Paradise. In the earthly Paradise above purgatory Dante beholds 
Beatrice in a scene of surpassing grandeur. He ascends with her 
into the celestial Paradise, and after wandering over seven spheres 
he comes to the eighth where he has a view of "the glorious com- 
pany which surrounds the triumphant Redeemer." The year after 
the death of Beatrice Dante married Gemma Donati. It was 
after this that he wrote his great work. 

McCarthy's story is based upon these facts relative to Dante 
and Beatrice. 



172 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Marco Visconti. 1881. Tommaso Grossi 

This story falls in the time of the Crusades when Frederick 
II conducted his expedition to the Holy Land. The Pope had 
excommunicated him in 1227 because of delaying his crusade 
on the ground that a pestilence had broken out on the ships in 
which he was to carry his troops. He set out the following year, 
however, before the Pope had absolved him, and as an excom- 
municated person the Pope hindered him in every way. He suc- 
ceeded in making a truce by which the Christians were to hold 
Jerusalem for a period of ten years. 

This Italian author (1791-1853) was born at Bellano. He 
dedicated this story to Manzoni who encouraged him in his work. 

This story belongs to this period of Frederick II when the 
emperor was in conflict with the Pope, and when the country was 
torn with feuds and dissensions. It deals with these bitter feuds 
especially those of the Guelphs and Ghibellines. It is a portrayal 
of love and revenge that entered into these strifes, duels and as- 
sassinations. 



CHAPTER VI 
THE HUNDRED YEARS' WAR 

This extended conflict between England and France resulted 
from various causes. The French assisted David Bruce in Scot- 
land against the support the English gave another claimant; 
Flanders, a French fief, carried on an extensive wool trade with 
England. Philip IV ordered the arrest of all Englishmen in 
Flanders, and to maintain their trade with the English the peo- 
ple formed an alliance with England against France. Another 
cause was England's possession of Guienne which had been seized 
by the French. But the cause that was especially operative was 
the claim of Edward III to the throne of France. He based his 
claim upon the fact that his mother Isabella was the sister of the 
French king, while Philip IV was only his cousin. This claim was 
groundless as by the Salic law of France succession to the throne 
could not descend through the female line. 

To maintain such a war drained both countries of men and 
money and laid the people under heavy taxation. By it England 
lost all her possessions in France excepting Calais, and while this 
was a gain to France, yet the latter was reduced to a deplorable 
condition. 

Historical Outline 

England France 

Edward III, I 327-1371. Philip VI, 1328-1350. 

Claimed the crown of First of the House of 

France. Valois. 

Beginning of the Hundred Claims of Edward III, 1328. 

Years' War. Battle of Crecy, 1346. 

Battle of Crecy, 1346. Capture of Calais, 1347. 



Capture of Calais, 1347. 
Battle of Poitiers, 1356. 



173 



174 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



Richard II, 1377- 1389. 
Son of the Black Prince, 
Watt Tyler's Rebellion, 

1381. 
Defeated by Bolingbroke. 

Henry IV, 1399-1413. 
First of the House of Lan- 
caster. 

Henry V, 1413-1422. 

Revived the claims of Ed- 
ward III to the throne 
of France, 141 5. 

Battle of Agincourt, 141 5. 

Henry VI, 1422-1471. 
Loss of territory in France, 

1422-1453. 
Successes of Joan of Arc. 
Expulsion from France. 
Retention of Calais. 



John, 1 350-1 364. 

Defeated at Poitiers, 1356. 
John taken prisoner at Poi- 
tiers. 

Charles V, 1364- 1380. 

War with Edward III. 
State reduced to bank- 
ruptcy. 

Charles VI, 1 380-1422. 
War renewed. 
Defeated at Agincourt, 
I4I5- 

Charles VII, 1422-1461. 
Siege of Orleans raised by 

Joan of Arc and victory 

at Palay, 1429. 
Coronation of Charles. 
Death of Joan of Arc, 1431. 



The following division of the period under the English kings 
will be less complicated, and will admit the various stories in 
their chronological relation, without the omission of any we wish 
to use, that could not be done as well under another form of 
division. 

Reign of Edward III 

The reign of Edward covered a considerable portion of this 
period of warfare. During this time were fought the two great 
battles of Crecy and Poitiers, and between these two events the 
taking of Calais by the English. The superiority of the English 
in naval warfare was exhibited in the battle of Sluys when the 
large French fleet was defeated in the Flemish harbor. 

The first stage of the war during this period extended from 
the battle of Crecy to the taking of Calais. For 200 years Calais 
remained an English town. The second stage extends from the 
battle of Poitiers to the peace of Bretigny, 1360, by which a large 
part of France came under Edward's rule while he surrendered 
his claim to the crown. The third stage (1367-74) was a period 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 175 

of loss to the English. Charles V would not risk an open battle 
but kept up a system of skirmishing that irritated the English. 
The Black Prince returned to England and the French recov- 
ered all their territory except Calais, Bordeaux and Bayonne. 

The taking of Calais insured safety to English ships in the 
Channel, and a brisk trade was maintained with Normandy, 
Flanders and Gascony. Flemish weavers came to England who 
taught the people cloth-weaving. In France conditions were 
much worse. The population was reduced and the taxes drained 
the resources of the people. Between plague and war the land 
was being devastated. 

King John had little capacity for government. Five years 
after his coronation the war was renewed which was fatal for his 
reign. In the midst of the deplorable and depleted condition of 
France a new trouble was added in a great rising of the Jacquerie. 
For nine years after the treaty of Bretigny the two countries en- 
joyed a respite, and France was considerably recuperated. Charles 
V reopened the war, having all the advantage on his side, and re- 
covered much of the territory held by the English. 

The Stories 

Bertrand of Brittany. 1908. Warwick Deeping 

Bertrand du Guesclin was a low-born Breton and a first-class 
general, a man of splendid military judgment and capacity and 
these he employed to the great advantage of France at the close 
of this period under Charles V in the restoration of French terri- 
tory. In the early stages of the war and prior to the battle of 
Crecy, there was little real fighting. It took the form of plunder- 
ing and marauding expeditions. 

This story deals with the early years of Bertrand du Guesclin 
and the vicissitudes through which he and his wife passed. The 
contest between the English and Bretons at Rennes is described. 
Rennes was formerly the capital of Brittany. 

Crecy and Poitiers. 1865. John G. Edgar 

In 1346 Edward crossed the Somme and took a position at 
Crecy on rising ground. This compelled the French to climb the 
slope in making a charge. The French cross-bow was no match 
for the English long-bow which mowed down the French forces. 



176 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The English infantry thus armed was greatly superior to mounted 
and mailed knights. It was a decisive victory for the English 
due to the archers and the skill of Edward III. It was in this 
battle that Edward, called the Black Prince (because of the color 
of his armor), won his knightly spurs. 

At Neville's Cross David II of Scotland was defeated and 
captured, and then Edward laid siege to Calais which surrendered, 
and over which the English flag waved for more than 200 years. 

Ten years after the battle of Crecy Edward, the Black Prince, 
was devastating the south of France when a French army under 
King John met him near Poitiers. So greatly were the English 
outnumbered that Edward agreed to return spoils and prisoners 
and sign a treaty of peace for seven years, but John would not 
grant the plea. Again the superiority of English skill won the 
day, and King John was captured and carried to London where 
he was held for four years. This victory brought the southern 
provinces to the English; they were made into a separate prin- 
cipality by the king and given to his son, the Black Prince. 

The Black Prince returned to England in 137 1. He was ill 
and irritable and affairs in the country were in a troublesome 
state. Then it was that Charles V restored much of the terri- 
tory Edward had taken, and under these conditions both the 
king and the Black Prince died in 1377. 

This story takes us from the invasion of France when Edward 
crossed the Somme through the great events of Crecy, the battle 
of Neville's Cross, Poitiers, to the death of the Black Prince. 
In 1346, the year of the battle of Crecy, King Edward founded 
the famous "Order of the Garter," a body of knights which still 
continues as one of the oldest and most honored knightly orders 
of Europe. The institution of this order is one of the interests of 
this story. 

Hugh the Messenger. 1905. Gertrude Hollis 

Calais maintained a vigorous resistance to the siege which, 
together with piratical acts on the part of the garrison at an 
earlier time, determined harsh terms of surrender on the part of 
Edward. He stipulated that the lives of the people would be 
spared if six of the leading citizens would present themselves to 
him, barefooted and bareheaded with ropes around their necks, 
and having the keys of the city. Six citizens, one of whom was 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 177 

Eustace de St. Pierre, volunteered to give their lives for their 
fellow-citizens. When Edward ordered their execution Queen 
Philippa, who was present, pleaded for their lives, and con- 
strained him to spare them and set them at liberty. 

This story is based upon these events, the mediation of the 
queen, the taking of Calais, while the Black Prince and others 
appear in the story. 

Sir Nigel. 1906. Arthur Conan Doyle 

In 1348 a new foe appeared that could not be met with the 
machinery and the arts of war. It was the Black Death, so- 
called because of the dark spots upon the body. So fatal was it 
that few whom it attacked recovered. Before this terrible 
plague all classes and ages succumbed. It swept over the land 
reaping a frightful harvest. During the fourteen months that it 
carried on its awful work London lost half of its population. 
Terror-stricken people fled to the convents, many times to find that 
no sacred place was immune, and in many instances to find that 
every monk had perished. Industry and business were demoral- 
ized. 

This English novelist (1859-) studied at Edinburgh and from 
1882 to 1890 practiced medicine at Southsea. He then aban- 
doned his profession for a literary career as he had already at- 
tained some success in that field. His detective, Sherlock Holmes, 
at once made him famous. Among his historical novels are Micah 
Clark and The White Company. For his services during the 
Boxer War and his support of the British policy he was knighted 
in 1902. 

In this story the early life and troubles of Sir Nigel are de- 
scribed, especially the ravages of the Black Death. He is in- 
duced by Chandos to go to the wars as his squire. The battle of 
Poitiers is well presented as is also the portraiture of Edward. 
Ill, the Black Prince and other historical characters. 

The Cross of Pearls. 1903. Mrs. Catherine Mary 

Bearne 

Following Crecy and Poitiers France was in a deplorable 
state. To the peasants who had suffered most from the war the 
disasters of the two great battles were explainable on the ground 



178 HISTORICAL FICTION 

that France had been betrayed by the nobles. The result was a 
great uprising on the part of the peasants called the Jacquerie. 
While it was confined to the northern part of France it took on a 
most ferocious aspect. "The peasants seemed turned by their 
sufferings into wild beasts, and the nobles retaliated in like man- 
ner. The revolt was soon put down, and the lot of the peasant, 
who was now dreaded as well as despised, became worse than 
before." 

In this story the author deals with this peasant uprising and 
the incidents directly connected with these troubles. French life 
and customs are splendidly delineated. 

The White Company. 1890. Arthur Conan Doyle 

The life and reign of' Pedro, king of Castile and Leon, fall 
in this period. He was born at Burgos, 1334, the son of Alfonso 
XI whom he succeeded in 1350, three years after the taking of 
Calais by the English. In 1353 he married Blanche de Bourbon, 
sister of the French king, but soon deserted her for his mistress, 
Dona Maria Padilla, whose relatives he placed in the highest 
offices in his kingdom. He has been justly called "Pedro the 
Cruel." He put to death two of his brothers. An insurrection 
was raised against him by his brother Henry which he put down, 
and devoted the balance of his reign to establishing his authority 
over his enemies and to wars with Aragon and Granada. 

In the year 1366 Henry, at the head of a force, returned from 
France where he had taken refuge and reasserted his claims to 
the throne. In this he was supported by the Pope, by Aragon and 
France. Pedro secured the assistance of Edward the Black 
Prince, and Henry was crushed at Navarre in 1367. He then 
subjected the vanquished forces to such cruelties that Edward 
became disgusted with him and refused to have any further as- 
sociation with such a monster, and returned to France with his 
army. The Black Prince by becoming involved in this alliance 
both shattered his health and became entangled in debt. 

In the autumn of the same year Henry raised a large force. 
In 1369 he scattered Pedro's army at Montiel and took Pedro 
prisoner. He was taken to a tent and Henry engaged him in a 
single combat and slew him. 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 179 

These events constitute the historical setting of this story. It 
sets forth the operations of the English troops under the Black 
Prince, giving special attention to the captain of the troops. It 
is a portrayal of hard vigorous warfare. Du Guesclin and others 
are introduced. 

Reign of Richard II 

Richard was the son of the popular Black Prince. His ideas 
of the power of the king were not shared by his subjects. He 
came to the throne when war with France was renewed and 
England was rapidly losing the territory she had gained under 
Edward III and the Black Prince. Labor troubles were becom- 
ing active and discontent on the part of the laborer was brewing. 
Into these situations a new great personality entered, John 
Wycliffe, who translated the Bible into English and raised his 
voice against the evils in the Church. His disciples were known 
as the Lollards. WyclifTe opposed even the authority of the 
Pope. His socialistic doctrines regarding poverty and labor did 
much to create the increasing restlessness and the Peasants' Re- 
bellion. 

Richard carried things with a high hand actuated by his own 
principles of the rights of sovereignty. He planned to become 
an emperor, imposed taxes that were illegal and conceived the 
overthrow of the power of Parliament. In the elections a parlia- 
ment was packed that gave him every power and met all his de- 
mands. When he returned from Ireland Henry was waiting to 
make him his prisoner and charge him with his crimes. The 
charges held and he was deposed, and a few months afterwards 
was found dead in Henry's castle, probably starved to death. 

Charles V was on the throne of France for only two years 
after the accession of Richard, so that for the balance of the lat- 
ter's reign Charles VI was the king of France. His insanity, • 
however, disqualified him to exercise these functions and rivalry 
for control became rampant. The king's cousin, John of Bur- 
gundy, one of the rivals, had his opponent, the king's younger 
brother Louis, murdered, and civil war broke out. The people 
were crushed with taxation and the Parisian mob held high car- 
nival. Thus we see the state of the two countries during this 
period of the war. 



i8o HISTORICAL FICTION 

The Stories 

The Seven Knights. 1910. Marion Fox 

When Edward died John of Gaunt, Richard's uncle, came 
back to power. The country was short of money and a poll-tax 
was levied on each person, and each year was increased, and with 
the increasing taxation discontent increased to the breaking point. 
A poll-tax collector insulted the daughter of a tiler and the latter 
killed him. It needed but just such a spark to set the country 
ablaze. Outbreaks spread rapidly over the various counties under 
the leadership of John Ball, "J ac kstraw" f Essex and Wat Tyler 
of Kent. The mobs were easily incensed and deeds of violence 
began. A hundred thousand men under Wat Tyler marched to 
London. They burned the palace of John Gaunt and murdered 
the archbishop in the Tower Palace. 

The young king, sixteen years old, rode among the mob, and 
when Tyler raised his hand in a threatening manner to the king 
the mayor of London stabbed him. It threw the people into a 
frenzy and they cried out "Our captain is killed." In a moment 
the king and his small party would have been slain, but Richard 
dashed up to them crying out, "I am your captain, follow me." 
He gave the people written charters abolishing their oppressions 
and the mob dispersed. This is known as Wat Tyler's Rebellion 
of 1381. 

This story sets forth the condition of the cime leading to this 
rebellion under Tyler. John Ball was one of the agitators and 
he preached to great crowds. The story is strong in its char- 
acterization of him. At this time popular poems were written in 
the language of the common people, the most famous of which 
was "Piers Plowman" formerly thought to have been composed 
by William Langland of whom we know practically nothing. This 
dreamy poem has a rhythm which caught the ear of the people 
and its popularity was very great. In this story the author of 
this poem is strikingly presented. He was a man of deep earnest- 
ness and deplored the evils of his time. 

The Banner of St. George. 1900. Miss Mary Bramston 

This story deals with the same events and the same characters. 
The scene is laid at St. Albans. 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 181 

Long Will. 1903. Florence Converse 

As already noted, Piers Plowman was a poem of the common 
people. There are still in existence some thirty-six manuscript 
copies of it made before the invention of printing. The title of 
the poem became the common appellation of a poor laboring 
countryman. 

This American author (1871-) was born in New Orleans. 
After graduating from Wellesley College in 1893 sne became a 
member of the editorial staff of the Churchman in which capacity 
she remained for eight years. She then joined the staff of the 
Atlantic Monthly. 

In this romance is given the story of William Langland, aw 
thor of the poem, both in his home life and in the Court of Rich- 
ard. The leading figures of the time are introduced. John Ball, 
Tyler and "J ac k:straw" as he called himself, one of the agitators 
of the rebellion, John Gower the poet, a contemporary and friend 
of Chaucer, who wrote the chronicle of the insurrection under 
Richard II, and Goeffrey Chaucer, the most famous poet of the 
period and one of the most popular of English poets of all time, 
author of The Canterbury Tales. The story is an excellent dis- 
tinction of the period. 

Reign o£ Henry IV 

Henry IV was the first of the Lancastrian kings. When Par- 
liament deposed Richard in 1399 it placed Henry on the throne, 
hence he was not the direct heir to the throne. Placed on the 
throne in this manner Henry must pay more attention to the 
wishes of Parliament, and could hold his throne only by sub- 
servience to this power, and at the same time by strong resistance 
to his enemies. He was a man of literary tastes and had a keen 
mind. He effected nothing in the way of reforms ; his whole at- 
tention was devoted to safe-guarding his kingship. One of the 
most significant events of his reign was the law against heresy in 
1401 by which the burning of heretics was permitted. 

Charles VI was on the throne of France during the entire 
period of Henry's reign as will be noted by the Historical Out- 
line. As already set forth above, his insanity disqualified him to 
act, and during this period the rivalries for the control of the 



182 HISTORICAL FICTION 

government kept the country in a state of agitation and unrest. 
The people were crushed with taxes. 

During this period there was a lull in the war. Charles V 
had taken advantage of the retirement of the Black Prince to 
England broken in health, and the growing apathy of Edward 
III in his old age, and had recovered much of French territory. 
Calais, Bordeau and Bayonne were the only important places in 
the hands of the English. There were but partial renewals of 
the war during this period. 

The Stories 
Both Sides the Border. 1899. G. A. Henty 

The weakness of Henry IV seemed to offer to Wales her op- 
portunity for securing her independence. The Welsh castles were 
held by English nobles and against these Owen Glendower raised 
a revolt. He had the support of the Welsh people and was pro- 
claimed the Prince of Wales. He captured several castles and 
harassed the border counties of England. This revolution was 
greatly aided by a conspiracy against Henry by two powerful 
noblemen, the two Percies, earls of Northumberland and Wor- 
cester. They joined Glendower. The combined revolution was 
strengthened by the support of "Harry Hotspur," son of the earl 
of Northumberland and so named because of his fiery temper, 
but a famous soldier, and the Earl of Douglas, a Scottish noble- 
man. 

Henry met these combined forces in the battle of Shrewsbury 
in 1403 and defeated them. Hotspur was slain and the two earls 
were taken prisoners. Glendower still held out in Wales. He 
was supported by Edmund Mortimer, who claimed the throne 
being in the line of Edward III. A scheme for the division of the 
kingdom was worked out, but Henry met the crisis and broke up 
the rebellion and restored Wales to submission, but Glendower 
was never taken. 

This story describes the defeat of Douglas by the Percies at 
Homildon Hill in 1402, and the revolt under Glendower. It 
gives the account of the federation of these forces against Henry, 
the breaking up of the rebellion at Shrewsbury and the death of 
Henry Hotspur. 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 183 

Kinsman and Namesake. 1909. Richard Stead 

In the rising of the North against Henry, Archbishop Scrope 
had sympathized with the rebels, and had dealings with them. 
He was a man of high character and had rendered valuable as- 
sistance in placing Henry upon the throne. But these facts, to- 
gether with his office, had no influence with the enraged Henry, 
who without a trial, had Scrope and the Earl of Nottingham be- 
headed. 

This story deals with this uprising in Yorkshire, and the ac- 
tivities of the Archbishop in support of the rebellion. 

Henry IV appears in the Shakespearean play that bears his 
name. In Richard II he is called Bolingbroke. "Henry IV," 
says Dowden, "is the same Bolingbroke who has been so greatly 
conceived in King Richard II ; only he is no longer in the full 
force of his manhood. He is worn by care and toil, harassed by 
the troubles of the unquiet times, yet still resolved to hold firmly 
what he has forcibly attained. There is a pathetic power in the 
figure of this weary, ambitious man, who can take no rest until 
the rest of death comes to him.' , 

Reign of Henry V 

Henry V was a man of scholarly traits, of high moral char- 
acter, possessed of soldierly capacity and a statesman. He was 
stern but a man of just and generous impulses. He had always 
been a soldier. He believed he had a right to the throne of 
France and he revived the claims of Edward III. The war was 
renewed and Henry's brilliant success, not only greatly increased 
his prestige in Europe, but rendered secure his position at home. 
In the treaty of Troyes it was agreed that Katharine, daughter 
of Charles VI, should become Henry's wife ; that he should be 
regent of the kingdom and succeed to the throne ; England and 
France were to be for all time united under one king. 

It will be noted, by referring to the Historical Outline at the 
beginning of this chapter, that Henry and Charles V died the 
same year. The remains of Henry lie in Westminster Abbey. 
"He had tried to unite to his realm another, many times larger 
and more populous, but the French and the English were peoples 
each strong in national spirit, and each resolved not to bear the 
yoke of the other, and this temper no royal marriage, no written 
treaty, or military array could permanent!/ change." 



184 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The Stories 
A Champion of the Faith. 1893. J. M. Callwell 

We have already indicated the rising of the Lollards under 
the teachings of Wy cliff e. They preached equality and the rights 
of the poor, and were held in fear by both king and parliament. 
Following the reign of Henry IV they regarded themselves suffi- 
ciently strong to overturn the government. Their propaganda and 
doctrines were encouraged by Sir John Oldcastle who took the 
title of Lord Cobham, who had great estates in Kent and Here- 
fordshire. The Emperor Sigismund who was responsible for the 
death of John Huss the reformer, visited Henry V and stim- 
ulated his zeal for the orthodox religion. Henry was fond of 
Oldcastle and pleaded with him to alter his attitude regarding 
the heretical doctrines, but met with no success. 

It was arranged by the Lollards to seize the king and over- 
throw the government, and so strong had they become that a crisis 
was created. Henry laid hold of the leaders, and heretics were 
burned at the stake among whom was Oldcastle. 

In this story the author deals with this period of the Lollard 
conspiracy in which Oldcastle and his death figure. Henry V, 
Duke Humphrey and others appear in the story. In the renewal 
of the war with France Henry landed near Harfleur. The captur- 
ing of this point cost him one-half of his army and he decided to 
return to England by way of Calais. This victory is an interest 
in this story. 

Agincourt. 1844. George P. R. James 

Conditions in France were favorable to England's renewing 
of the war. Charles VI was insane, nobles were quarreling and 
disputing and the country was constantly in danger of civil war. 
When Henry lost half of his army at Harfleur and decided to 
return to England he found himself facing a large French army 
at Agincourt. Gunpowder had been invented and artillery was 
now in use. The French force that was drawn up to intercept 
the English army on its way to Calais was five times as strong as 
the latter. The ground had been ploughed and the mud was deep, 
and while the French were hampered by this condition the Eng- 
lish poured upon them a storm of arrows and swept down and 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 185 

crushed them. Ten thousand French lay dead upon the field, 
and the English once more scored a victory more decisive than 
Crecy and Poitiers. But this great victory, so far from uniting 
the quarreling factions in France, had the opposite effect of in- 
creasing the bitterness of their feuds. John of Burgundy was 
slain, and the new Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Good, gave his 
whole support to the English side. 

This story draws from all sources in setting forth the grandeur 
of the accession of Henry and the glory of his great victory at 
Agincourt. It is strong in its portraitures of court life and of 
leading personages, among them Philip the Good. 

Henry V appears in Shakespeare's Henry IV. "The Prince" 
says Dowden, "whom Shakespeare admires and loves more than 
any other person in English history, cares little for mere reputa- 
tion. He does not think much of himself and of his own honor ; 
and while there is nothing to do and his great father holds all 
power in his own right hand, Prince Hal escapes from the cold 
proprieties of the court to the boisterous life and mirth of the 
tavern. He is, however, only waiting for a call to action, and 
Shakespeare declares that from the first he was conscious of his 
great destiny, and, while seeming to scatter his force in frivolity, 
was holding his true self, well guarded, in reserve." 

Reign of Henry VI 

It will be noted by the Historical Outline that Henry VI and 
Charles VII succeeded to the throne the same year. Henry was 
but an infant when his father died, and the young king's uncle, 
John, duke of Bedford, acted as regent. Henry was character- 
ized by timidity. He was precocious as a scholar and inherited 
his father's literary tastes but lacked his strength, his aggressive- 
ness and dominating qualities. He founded Eton College and 
King's College, Cambridge. His gentle, weak nature made him 
an easy tool in the hands of others. He was subject to fits of in- 
sanity, so that during this period England was really under the 
government of great nobles never at peace among themselves. 
Henry's reign was one long tragedy. "There is no sadder tale 
in all history than that of the gentle and virtuous Henry VI, sur- 
rounded by raging factions which destroyed his friends, his only 
son and finallv himself." 



1 86 HISTORICAL FICTION 

In the death of Charles VI France was relieved of an insane 
king, and England had in Henry VI a king who was subject to 
attacks of insanity. The treaty of Troyes provided that upon 
the death of Charles VI the throne should pass to the king of 
England, and both nations be under the rule of one sovereign. 
What national spirit prevailed in France maintained the claims 
of the Dauphin. His resources were so limited, however, that he 
did not have much to encourage him, and for the first seven 
years of his reign the quarrels about him were so bitter that little 
was done in the way of the war. It was not until a new spirit, a 
new factor, wholly unlooked for suddenly appeared that the 
whole situation was changed, that France arose with a new might 
and expelled the English from the land, and thus brought to an 
end the Hundred Years' War. 

The Stories 
The Days of Jeanne D' Arc. 1897. Mary H. Catherwood 

Joan of Arc, the Maid of Orleans, the French national heroine, 
was the daughter of humble parents, born at Domremy, 141 2. At 
the time of her appearance in history the English were the masters 
of France north of the Loire. According to a version of a proph- 
ecy by Merlin, which was current in the native province of Joan 
and with which she was undoubtedly familiar, France was to be 
overwhelmed with calamities, but was to be delivered by a virgin 
out of the forest of Domremy. At the age of thirteen she believed 
that she was spoken to by heavenly voices, and at the age of fif- 
teen the voice commissioned her to go and fight for the dauphin 
of France and liberate her country. 

Following these impulses, in male attaire, she gained access to 
the court of Charles VII. She so impressed Charles that he en- 
trusted her with the command of an army. Dressed in warlike 
equipment, with sword and banner, she placed herself at the head 
of the French troops. Within ten days she raised the siege of 
Orleans and other victories followed. The dormant national spirit 
was fanned into a mighty life, the national courage was kindled 
anew and the troops swept everything before them. The national 
heroine became the dread of the English. 

Joan conducted the young prince to Rheims, where the kings 
of France were anciently accustomed to hold the coronation cere- 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 187 

monies, where he was crowned July 17, 1429. Believing her 
mission to be accomplished she was about to return to her home, 
but Charles persuaded her to remain with the army to which she 
consented. In a battle with the Burgundians the French were 
defeated and Joan was taken prisoner. She had aroused the jeal- 
ousy of the king's advisers, and when she was turned over to the 
English for the sum of about $3,000, no effort was made to save 
her. She was tried as a sorceress and witch, and after a shameful 
and unjust trial was condemned to be burned at the stake, which 
fate she suffered in 1431 at the age of nineteen. An Englishman 
witnessing her execution cried out, "We are lost ; we have burned 
a saint !" The greatest blot on the fame of Charles VII "is the 
ingratitude he showed in making no effort to rescue from death 
the brave girl, who, more than any one else, saved for him the 
throne of France." 

This American novelist (1847-1902) was born at Luray, Ohio. 
She graduated from the college at Granville, Ohio (1868), and 
then settled at Newburgh-on-the-Hudson, where she began writ- 
ing stories for the magazines. To this earlier period belong several 
novels. A series of historical romances then appeared illustrat- 
ing French Canada, The Story of Tonty, etc. 

In this story the author made a careful study of her heroine, 
the Maid of Orleans. The story deals with this last period of the 
war, and the part played by Joan of Arc in the restoration of 
France. She portrays particularly the qualities of character of 
this girl of the common people who obeyed her remarkable call 
to duty and self-sacrifice. Charles VII and other historical char- 
acters play their parts in the story. 

A Monk of Fife. 1895. Andrew Lang 

This English writer (1844-) received his education at Edin- 
burgh Academy, St. Andrews University and Balliol College, 
Oxford. At the latter he distinguished himself as a student. He 
has written along various lines. He made translations of Homer 
and Theocritus, and his selected fairy tales fill several volumes. 
He has also written ballads and light verse. 

In this story the monk belongs to Dumferline in Scotland. He 
became an archer in this period of the war, and was brought into 
familiar contact with Joan of Arc. The story deals with the dis- 



1 88 HISTORICAL FICTION 

tinctive service rendered by her and abounds with exciting epi- 
sodes in these days of France's recovery. 

Noemi. 1895. S. Baring-Gould 

This story deals with the conditions in France during the reign 
of Charles VII as bearing upon this closing period of the war. It 
is a story of Rock-Dwellers, and the fortress on the Dordogne 
holds an important place in the narrative. 

Held by Rebels. 1906. Tom Bevan 

Parliament was in session at Leicester devising measures by 
which existing financial and political evils may be overcome when 
news came that a formidable rebellion had broken out under the 
leadership of a man who called himself Mortimer, but who in 
reality was an Irishman by the name of Jack Cade. He had killed 
a woman of Sussex, fled to France and there fought against the 
English. He took advantage of the restless state of things in Eng- 
land created both by the defeats in France, the burdensome taxes 
and the lawless murder of the Duke of Suffolk. 

Cade mustered his men on Blackheath and at Sevenoaks de- 
feated and routed the king's force. The rebels entered London 
and beheaded the king's treasurer. The Chancellor offered the 
insurgents pardon which they accepted and started for home. But 
Cade was suspicious of the pardon and opened the jails and or- 
ganized a new force out of the prisoners. He became a mere 
plunderer and his men quarreled over the booty. Cade tried to 
escape but was caught by the sheriff in a garden at Heathfield and 
was killed in being captured. 

This story is a portrayal of these events, the rebellion in Kent 
under Cade, and the taking of London by the rebels. 

In setting forth the life and work of Joan of Arc poetry, as 
well as fiction, has supplemented history. It was Schiller who 
led the way in his tragedy, The Maid of Orleans. 

By these stories this extended period of strife and struggle 
has been well represented and portrayed. They have set before 
us in a vivid and living manner the great scenes and events, and 
have also given us an interpretation of the times and leading char- 
acters. They also set before us an estimate of values pertaining to 
the deeper things of life as we find them, not only in the period we 
have just studied, but as they appear in every age. 



CHAPTER VII 

SCOTLAND. PERIOD OF THE HUNDRED 
YEARS' WAR 

Under a former section we had occasion to deal with the period 
of the conflict between Scotland and England. Those were the 
days of Edward I and Edward II, the days of William Wallace 
and Robert Bruce. It was in 13 14 that Bruce won the independ- 
ence of Scotland by the battle of Bannockburn. He was the great- 
est of the Scottish kings. He died in 1329 and was succeeded by 
his son David II. A new conflict with England arose and by the 
success of the English arms at Neville's Cross in 1346 the Scotch 
king was compelled to do homage to England. 

Robert II succeeded to the throne in 1371 and with him began 
the Stuart Dynasty. In the main, the kings of this line were able 
men, but coming to the throne as some of them did in their minority 
played into the hands of the nobles and greatly increased their 
power. In the wars with England during this period Robert held 
himself aloof and allowed the barons to carry on the conflict. In 
1390 he was followed by Robert III, a man utterly incapable of 
dealing with the turbulent conditions of the time, and before his 
son, a man of large ability, could take the throne the country was 
in the hands of scheming agents. 

When James I succeeded to the throne the country was in a 
state of disorder. During his reign and through his forceful meas- 
ures order was introduced, the nobility had its power curtailed and 
commerce and industry were greatly advanced. The reign of 
James was brought to an end by assassins in the closing years of 
the Hundred Years' War. The reign of James II to the close of 
the war was a period of conflict with the house of Douglas. The 
latter placed itself in open rebellion to the throne. These dis- 
orders we shall have occasion to note in connection with the stories. 

The Stories 

REIGN OF JAMES I 

The Caged Lion. 1870. Charlotte M. Yonge 

James I of Scotland (1406-1437) was the second son of Robert 
III. At the age of eleven years his father decided he should re- 

189 



190 HISTORICAL FICTION 

ceive his education at the court of France. While on his way- 
there he was captured by an English ship. His father, a weak 
man, wholly unqualified to cope with the stormy spirit of the age, 
was so affected by the capture of his son that he died the following 
year of a broken heart. 

While James was held a prisoner in England, having been 
acknowledged as king of Scotland on the death of his father 
(1406), Albany became regent, and it is not unlikely that it was 
through him that James was captured and held for so many years 
a prisoner. When Albany died (1419) negotiations for the release 
of James began, and in 1424 he was crowned king at Scone. The 
education he received in England qualified him for his kingship, 
and fitted him to become one of the strongest monarchs of his 
age. Before leaving England he married Jane Beaufort, cousin 
of Henry V. In 1436 he married his daughter to the dauphin of 
France, afterwards Louis XI, and thus strengthened the relations 
between the two courts. 

This story deals with James during the period of his captivity. 
It details his capture by the English when on his way to France, 
and the years from 1405 to 1423 spent in England. As noted 
above, it was after the death of Albany that negotiations began for 
his release, so that he was a prisoner in England for eighteen 
years, and had reached the age of twenty-nine when he began to 
reign. 

Catherine Douglas. 1905. Rachel Willard 

During the captivity of James and while others were in control 
of the government the nobles had greatly strengthened their 
power. James at once adopted measures to curtail this power. 
This brought him into conflict with the nobles. The taxation of 
the people had also given rise to discontent. The result was that 
a conspiracy arose against the king. Sir Robert Graham gathered 
a band of 300 conspirators and led them to the abbey of Black 
Friars at Perth, where James was at the time. Graham slew 
James with his own hand, but in their hurry the queen was allowed 
to escape. So great was the indignation created by this brutal 
murder that everyone of the band was brought to justice, while 
Graham was tortured to death at Stirling. James was a man 
of letters and sought the highest good of his people and his 
country. 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 191 

This story sets forth the turbulent conditions in Scotland 
during this reign, and the operations of the king in his attempt to 
introduce order into the kingdom. It sets forth the conspiracy 
under Graham and the assassination of the king. Among the his- 
torical personages is Archibald, the fifth Earl of Douglas, who 
was prominent in the French wars, and, dying in 1439, was buried 
in the church of Douglas, where his tomb still remains. 

A King's Tragedy. 1905. May Wynne 

This story deals with the same events as those of the preceding 
story. Kennedy, the king's faithful servant, has learned of the 
plot to murder the king and of Graham's plans. He was prevented 
from getting to James with the facts and thereby foiling the plot 
of the conspirators. 

Reign of James II 

When James I was assassinated his son was but seven years 
of age. After his coronation his mother took him to Edinburgh 
Castle to insure his safety. She became alarmed at the conduct 
of William Crichton, the governor of the castle, and escaped to 
Stirling. His reign is marked by the conflict with the powerful 
house of Douglas which refused to yield to the authority of the 
king. 

The Stories 

The Black Douglas. 1899. Samuel R. Crockett 

William, the sixth Earl of Douglas, after succeeding to the earl- 
dom had incurred the enmity of William Crichton, from whom the 
mother of James II had escaped. The young king was at the castle 
as he had been seized by Crichton. The latter invited the Earl of 
Douglas, who was a young lad eighteen years of age, to pay a visit 
to the young king, who was then about nine years of age. Reach- 
ing the castle William found there his brother David. A form 
of trial was conducted and then both boys were beheaded. 

The author (i860-), a Scotch novelist, was educated at the 
University of Edinburgh. Following his graduation he traveled 
extensively in Europe, Africa and Asia. From 1886 to 1894 he 
was a minister at Penicuik. The works by which he is best known 
are The Stickit Minister, The Standard Bearer, The Banner of 
Blue, Bog-Myrtle and Peat and others. 



192 HISTORICAL FICTION 

In this story the author deals with the historical facts just re- 
lated — the murder of William and David Douglas, which holds 
a principal place in the story. The scenes are laid in Edinburgh, 
Galloway and Stirling. The story is full of action and rather 
extravagant in the classes of persons introduced. 

Maid Margaret of Galloway. 1905. Samuel R. 
CROCKETT 

William, eighth Earl of Douglas, was a man of an independent 
turbulent spirit. He held a large part of southern Scotland and 
hence wielded great power. James II appointed him Lieutenant- 
Governor. When he returned from Rome in 145 1 he found that 
William Crichton had been influencing the actions of the king 
which placed Douglas in a secondary position. He lost the king's 
favor and then openly defied the king's authority. Securing the 
support of his own dependents and the co-operation of the Earls 
of Crawford and Ross he ravished the lands of the king's friends 
and made himself an independent prince. He had married his 
cousin, Margaret Douglas, the "Fair Maid of Galloway," and thus 
reunited the possessions of the house of Douglas. The king ar- 
ranged for an interview with him at Stirling. Douglas became 
so insolent during this interview that James stabbed him in the 
throat, and Sir Patrick Gray completed the deed. His titles and 
estates were left to his brother James. The latter at once took up 
arms to avenge his brother's death, but instead of pursuing this 
course he became reconciled to the king. 

This is a story of Margaret of Galloway, the wife of the mur- 
dered Douglas. It sets forth the historical facts and circumstances 
given in the sketch. It deals also with the leading fact of the pre- 
ceding story. These stirring, stormy times are strongly portrayed. 

The Captain of the Guard. 1862. James Grant 

This British author (1822- 1887) was born at Edinburgh. For 
seven years he lived at Newfoundland and returning to England 
became an ensign in the British army. In 1846 he published his 
first novel, The Romance of War. He published many works 
bearing a military stamp. Among these are Bothzvell, Dick Rod- 
ney, The White Cockade, Mary of Lorraine. 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 193 

The scenes of this story are laid in Galloway, Edinburgh and 
Flanders. It deals with the reign of James II, and his conflicts 
with the house of Douglas. 



The Mawkin of the Flow. 1898. Ernest W. Hamilton 

Buccleuch is a glen in Selkirkshire, Scotland. In an early day 
it was a stronghold of the clan whence the title of the dukedom 
is derived. This was one of the most ancient and renowned ducal 
families in Scotland. It traces its descent from Sir Richard le 
Scot ( 1 249- 1285) . The ancestor who first became historically dis- 
tinctive was Sir Walter Scott of Brauxholm and Buccleuch (1490- 
1552). He was a powerful border chieftain of the time of 
James V. His illustrious namesake founded the Lay of the Last 
Minstrel on some of the events of the career of the great chieftain. 

This is a tale of this period describing the escapades of a 
peasant girl, who awakens the affections of the Buccleuch in dis- 
guise. 



CHAPTER VIII 

ITALY. PERIOD OF THE HUNDRED YEARS' 

WAR 

The period from 1305 to 1447 in Italy was distinctive in its 
history in the establishment ot five great powers : the Papacy, the 
Republics of Venice and Florence, the Duchy of Milan and the 
Kingdom of Naples. Before 1300 the authority of the German 
emperors was completely set aside. The duchy of Milan was 
created in 1395, and in 1420 Venice reached the zenith of her 
power. From 1434 the Medici became supreme in Florence. In 
this political development Italy had approached self-government. 

In 1435 Alfonzo, who was called the magnanimous, had united 
for the first time since 1282 the crowns of Sicily and Naples. His 
reign of twenty-three years was the best period in the history of 
South Italy. 

In Milan the Visconti family, Dukes of Milan, rose to great- 
ness from the time of John, Archbishop and lord of Milan. Gian 
Galeozzo became the duke in 1378, and attained to the greatest 
power and wealth of the Italian despots. He extended his do- 
minion almost to Venice, overcame Lombardy and was commenc- 
ing operations to seize Tuscany when, in 1402, he became a victim 
of the plague. 

In Florence, following the great plague of 1348, the people 
rose against the merchant princes and soon the city became an 
oligarchy under the leadership of the powerful Abizzi family. 
Then the Medici steadily rose, and in 1433 in their conflict with the 
Abizzi came off victorious. 

The temporal power of the popes was lost when they were 
transferred to Avignon, but when Gregory XI returned to Rome 
and their exile came to an end in the election of Urban VI the 
popes again became the rulers of Italy. In Nicholas V, who died 
in 1455, the temporal power of the papacy became strongly estab- 
lished. 

Thus we see the general political situation in Italy during the 
period of the Hundred Years' War, the period to which the fol- 
lowing stories belong. 

194 



TPIE MEDIEVAL ERA 195 

The Stories 
Rienzi, the Last of the Tribunes. 1835. Bulwer-Lytton 

Cola di Rienzi (1 312- 1354) was incited to his revolutionary 
agitation by the assassination of his brother by a Roman noble, 
and he determined to save Rome from the oppression of the barons. 
The leaders of the Guelph party selected him as the spokesman of 
a deputation to the papal court at Avignon, to lay before Clement 
VI the necessity of returning to Rome to protect the citizens from 
their oppressors. 

In 1347 he assembled his friends at Mount Aventine, an oath 
was taken to establish a republican government, and a series of 
laws was proposed. Driving the senators out of the city Rienzi 
took the title of tribune of liberty, peace and justice. At first he 
exhibited a strict regard for the general good, but he became am- 
bitious and overbearing. Unable to resist the barons he spent 
two years in solitude. He then delivered a prophecy to Charles IV 
at Prague, that within eighteen months a new Pope would be 
elected, that Charles would reign in the West and Rienzi would 
hold the East. Charles did not regard him a safe man to be at 
large and threw him into prison. 

The feuds between the great families were creating a state of 
anarchy, and the people, believing that Rienzi might render some 
good service in restoring order, had him released from Prison. 
He was received with great enthusiasm at Rome, but within two 
months his measures became so unbearable that an enraged mob 
turned upon him and put him to death. 

Bulwer-Lytton's story is a presentation of Rienzi in this polit- 
ical setting. It exhibits the man in his attempt to secure the liberty 
of the people. It sets forth the disorders in Rome, the prey of 
feudal anarchy ; the municipal government reduced to impotence ; 
the strifes of the families of Colonna, Orsini and Sorelli. 

The Sword Decides. 1908. Marjorie Bowen 

Joanna I, queen of Naples (1343-1382) and after 1356 queen 
of Sicily and Countess of Provence, was the daughter of Charles, 
Duke of Calabria, and of Maria of Valois. She succeeded to the 
throne on the death of her grandfather, Robert the Wise. She was 
the wife of her cousin Andrew, the brother of Louis the Great, 



196 HISTORICAL FICTION 

King of Hungary. This marriage was concocted while they were 
children as an expedient to satisfy the rival claims of the two 
branches of the house of Anjou. The will of Robert the Wise pro- 
vided that Joanna should become queen when she had reached 
the age of twenty-five (she was born in 1327), but she secured the 
authority of the Pope and came at once to the throne. Andrew, 
through the influence of his brother, Louis the Great, was also 
crowned. 

In the second year following this coronation Andrew was assas- 
sinated, and it was the general belief that Joanna had instigated 
the deed at the hands of the conspirators, and to avenge his 
brother's death, Louis declared war. In 1347 Joanna married 
Louis of Taranto, but Louis the Great captured Naples and took 
the crown. The deposed queen and king returned to Naples with 
a force and expelled the Hungarian garrison. Louis proposed a 
compromise, i. e., that Joanna should submit to a trial for the 
murder of her husband and if found guilty she should surrender 
her kingdom to Louis the Great. To this she agreed, and in 1352 
the papal court declared her innocent, and the kingdom was re- 
stored to her and her husband. 

Charles of Durazzo claimed the right to the crown of Naples 
as a papal fief and Urban crowned him king. He was a cousin of 
Joanna, and prior to her last mirriage (she had been married four 
times) she had chosen Charles as her successor, but changed her 
will in favor of Louis of Anjou, brother of Charles V of France. 
By the combined efforts of the Pope, Louis the Great and Charles 
of Durazzo she was seized and put to death. 

This story is based upon this history of conspiracy and crime 
as related to Andrew, the first husband of Joanna. 

Jehanne of the Golden Lips. 1910. Frances G. 
Knowles Foster 

Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375), Italian novelist and poet, 
was remarkably precocious as a boy. His fame rests on his great 
work Decameron. It comprises one hundred tales, supposed to 
have been told by a company of people who for ten days were in a 
country home near Florence while the city was swept with the 
plague. These stories are full of wit and beauty, and by this work 
the author became the father of Italian prose. He was also the 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 197 

author of valuable dictionaries of classical mythology and geog- 
raphy. 

Petrarch was also a Florentine and was the contemporary of 
Boccaccio. He passed from one court to another and longed 
for a revival of the ancient glory of the Imperial City, and was 
the first one in the field to gather Latin manuscripts. These two 
men contributed greatly to the revival of learning, and the fifteenth 
century brought forth a host of humanists who continued the 
work of Boccaccio and Petrarch. The latter by his Sonnets estab- 
lished the fact that the Italian language was adapted to lyric poetry. 
More than any other city Florence was the cradle of Italian 
culture. The first to produce a native literature, her vernacular 
became the written language of Italy. One is dazzled in contem- 
plating the great souls who imparted so much of her glory — 
Dante, Giotto, Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo, etc. 

It was during this period of the revival of learning in Florence, 
the home of so much greatness and genius, that Joanne flourished 
and the events connected with her reign occurred. In this story, 
which relates to the first few years of her reign, the historical 
facts, as set forth in the sketch, are related. Together with other 
leading personages of the time Boccaccio is introduced. The 
Court of Joanne was famous for its magnificence, and was quite 
in keeping with the time. 

Ridolfo. 1906. Egerton R. Williams 

Perugia, a city of central Italy, was one of the twelve cities of 
the Etruscan League. Before the Middle Ages it became a posses- 
sion of the Popes. The Baglioni was a noted family of Perugia. 
In this city were two parties, the aristocratic and democratic. The 
Baglioni belonged to the former. Frederick Barbarossa appointed 
Ludovico Baglioni as the imperial vicar of Perugia. In 1393 a 
street fight occurred in this city in which 70 men were killed by 
the people ; among those killed were two Baglionis. In this upris- 
ing the entire aristocratic party was driven from the city. The 
power of the Baglioni extended from the close of the fourteenth 
to the middle of the sixteenth centuries. 

This story deals with this period of the Baglioni in Perugia, 
giving a portrayal of the plottings, ruthless despotism and crimes 
of the time. It is a good description of the power and activities of 
this historical family. 



198 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The Love Story of St. Bel. 1909. Bernard Capes 

Siena lies about fifty miles south of Florence. During the 
Middle Ages the city was an important art center, and was the 
birthplace of several renowned painters and sculptors. The cathe- 
dral dates from the thirteenth century, while among other churches 
of note is the Chapel of St. Catherine. 

Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) was the daughter of 
Jacomo Benincasa. She was one of the most distinguished saints 
of the Dominican Order, which she entered early in life. She was 
a mystic and was extreme in her asceticism, and in the extraordi- 
nary mortifications she practiced. She declares that things were 
revealed to her in visions and claimed the gift of prophecy, and 
went so far as to call herself the bride of Christ, receiving from 
him peculiar favors, having his wounds impressed upon her body. 
She exercised some political influence, and in some measure was 
instrumental in the return of the Pope from Avignon to Rome 
(1377). In their negotiations with Gregory XI the Florentines 
employed her services. She did some writing in the way of de- 
votional pieces, letters and poems. In 1461 she was canonized by 
Pope Pius II. 

In this story Catherine is the leading historical character. The 
scene is laid at Siena. In a mix-up feud St. Catherine plays an 
important part in the influence she brings to bear upon the fighting 
factions. 

Brazenhead the Great. 1911. Maurice Hewlett 

In the twelfth century Milan was the most powerful of the 
city republics. In 131 1 the house of Visconti triumphed over that 
of La Torre, and the duchy of Milan was established in 1395. The 
family of the Visconti became supreme over the larger part of 
Lombardy. Filippo Maria Visconti, duke of Milan (1391-1447), 
was the last of the Visconti Dynasty, and in 1450 the ducal house 
of Sforza was established. The Sforza Dynasty flourished until 
the duchy was taken possession of by Charles V, 1535. 

Filippo Maria Visconti in 1441 engaged the services of the cele- 
brated condottiere Francesco Sforza. A condottiere was a mili- 
tary chief of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries who sold his 
services and those of his troop to any state or monarch at war. 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 199 

Filippo was Sforza's greatest patron. He conferred upon Fran- 
cesco the hand of his daughter, and her dowry consisted of Cre- 
mona and Pontremoli. By force and strategem this Italian warrior 
became duke of Milan in 1450, which succeeded the Visconti 
dynasty at that time, and his authority extended over all Lom- 
bardy, and even Genoa came under his sway. 

This story deals with this period in Milan in which Francesco 
Sforza is brought into relationship with the Duke of Milan. 
Brazenhead sells his services to Filippo Maria Visconti to commit 
whatever murders may be required of him by the duke. 



CHAPTER IX 

BELGIUM. PERIOD OF THE HUNDRED 
YEARS' WAR 

Originally the Netherlands included the territory comprised 
by the present kingdoms of the Netherlands and Belgium. In the 
fourteenth century the dukes of Burgundy ruled the entire terri- 
tory. In 1384 Philip the Bold secured Flanders and Artois, while 
Mary, daughter of Charles the Bold, the last duke of Burgundy, 
through her marriage with the Archduke Maximilian of Austria, 
the Low Countries became a possession of the house of Haps- 
burg. Thus from the time of the Roman occupation this section 
of Europe was claimed first by one power and then by another. 
The principal historical facts with which we are now concerned 
will be noted in connection with the stories. 



The Stories 
The Lion of Flanders. 1838. Hendrik Conscience 

In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries the industrial sections 
throughout Europe which were attaining to importance, rose 
against the feudal system. Bruges, the capital of West Flanders, 
is sixty miles northwest of Brussels. In the Church of Notre 
Dame, whose spire is 290 feet high, are the remains of Charles the 
Bold and of his daughter, Mary of Burgundy. In 1430 Philip 
the Good founded here the order of the Golden Fleece. It was 
here that Jan Van Eyck (John of Bruges), the supposed inventor 
of oil painting, was born. The citizens of Bruges, as also of 
Ghent, were immensely wealthy through their extensive woolen 
industries. In the Middle Ages Bruges became, not only one of 
the leading commercial centers of northern Europe, but from 1240 
to 1426 it was a leading mart of the Hanseatic League. 

Courtrai is a town in the province of West Flanders. In 1302 
the citizens of Bruges and Ghent rose against the French. Their 

200 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 201 

forces numbered about 20,000, while those of the French num- 
bered 47,000. The battle was fought beneath the walls of Cour- 
trai, and the Flemings won a great victory over their foes. More 
than 700 pairs of golden spurs worn by the French nobility were 
gathered by the Flemings, and from this time the battle was called 
the "Battle of the Spurs." 

This story has its setting in these days of the prosperity of 
these two cities of Belgium. It describes the rising against the 
feudal system which was greatly weakened by the battle of 
Courtrai. These events are followed to the final conflict just 
indicated — the splendid victory of the Flemish forces. 

The White Hoods. 1828. Anna Eliza Bray 

Jacob van Antevelde (1300-1345) was a brewer of Ghent. 
He was selected by his fellow-citizens as the leader of the popular 
party in Flanders in its opposition to Count Louis of Flanders. 
In 1338 he was made the captain of the forces of Ghent, and for 
several years he acted somewhat in the capacity of a sovereign. 
Finally a movement was started that favored making the Black 
Prince, son of Edward III of England, the governor of Flanders. 
This created such opposition that an insurrection broke out in 
which Artevelde was slain. 

The struggles against the Count of Flanders continued and 
Philip, the son of Artevelde, was selected by the Flemings to 
lead the revolt against the count. The forces under Philip cap- 
tured and plundered Bruges, its burghers having sided with the 
Count. Philip gained a great victory and was acknowledged as 
governor by nearly all communes of Flanders. Charles VI of 
France then sent a French army to restore Louis and in the bat- 
tle of Rosebecque in 1382 Philip's forces were overwhelmed, and 
he with thousands of Flemings were slain. 

This English novelist (1790- 1883) was born in London. She 
wrote considerable historical fiction and also works of travel. In 
1870, at the age of 80, she issued three French historical novels. 

This story gives a splendid description of these cities of Flan- 
ders, and follows accurately the history of this time when the 
people under the leadership of Philip van Artevelde were strug- 
gling against the rule of Louis Count of Flanders. 



202 HISTORICAL FICTION 

A Turbulent Town. 1884. E. N. Hoare 

This story deals with the same events following them to the 
battle of Rosebecque and the death of Philip van Artevelde. 

Old Margaret 1871. Henry Kingsley 

The battle of Rosebecque restored the authority of the nobles, 
and in 1384 Flanders and Artois fell to the house of Burgundy 
by the marriage of the Duke, a scion of the French crown, with 
Margaret, daughter of Louis II, Count of Nevers, the last ruler 
of these provinces. 

John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy (1404-1419), was as- 
sassinated and was succeeded by his son, Philip the Good (1419- 
1467). He began to rule at the age of twenty-three. It will be 
remembered, in connection with the story of England of this same 
period, that in the treaty of Troyes (1420) Henry V of England 
was recognized as heir to the French crown. Philip at once en- 
tered into the treaty which acknowledged this succession. Bed- 
ford, who became regent of France, married Philip's sister. 

Philip endeared himself to his subjects, and under his rule 
Burgundy enjoyed prosperity and peace. During his reign Namur 
was annexed in 1429, Brabant and Linburg in 1430, in 1433 the 
Countess Jacqueline ceded to him Hainant, Holland and Zea- 
land, and in 1443 Luxemburg was annexed. He was succeeded 
by his son Charles the Bold, the last Duke of Burgundy. 

This English novelist (1830-1876) was the brother of Charles 
Kingsley, author of Hypatia, and other works of fiction. He 
received his education at King's College, London, and Wor- 
cester College, Oxford. In 1858 he went to Australia as a col- 
onist. Returning to England he contributed extensively to mag- 
azines, and for a time was editor of the Edinburgh Daily Review. 
Among his best known novels are Geoffrey Hamlyn, Austin El- 
liott and Ravenshoe. 

Old Margaret is a story of the time of Philip the Good. It 
sets forth in a manner characteristic of Kingsley the life of Ghent 
and its industries. There flourished at this time the two Van 
Eycks, Hubert and Jan, brothers, the famous painters of the 
Flemish School. They lived first at Bruges, but removed to Ghent 
about 1420, about the time that Philip the Good succeeded his 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 203 

father. They were famous for several things: they invented a 
method of painting in oil and thus revived an art that had been 
lost, which contributed greatly to modern art ; they were the first 
to introduce naturalism into art; they greatly improved the art 
of painting on glass. Kingsley introduces these famous painters 
into his story. 



CHAPTER X 

GERMANY-BOHEMIA. TO THE CLOSE OF 
THE HUNDRED YEARS' WAR 

In a former section we had occasion to give considerable at- 
tention to the period of the Hohenstaufen emperors which be- 
gan in 1 138, and is the most famous in German medieval history. 
The marriage of Henry VI brought him the kingdoms of Naples 
and Sicily, which continued to remain under the rule of the 
Hohenstaufens until 1265. This carried its own disadvantage 
and loss as it took the attention of the sovereigns from Germany 
to a greater or less extent. From the time of Philip of Swabia 
to the fall of the Hohenstaufens was a period of internal strife 
and contentions with the Popes. 

For nineteen years after the death of Conrad was the period 
known as the Great Interregnum. The crown was practically 
offered for sale to the highest bidder. Among the bidders was 
Richard of Cornwall and Alphonso of Castile who offered the 
largest bribes. They were elected, but their power was not in- 
creased. 

During the fourteenth and for a part of the fifteenth cen- 
turies interest in German history diminishes. "The imperial 
crown was passed around from one house to another and was 
openly offered to the highest bidder, the only care of the electors 
being to choose a prince not strong enough to endanger their au- 
thority." In 1356 Charles IV issued the Golden Bull defining 
the rights and duties of the imperial electors, the manner of 
electing the emperors, etc. 

Bohemia was tributary to Germany from the early part of 
the tenth century to the fourteenth during which time her inter- 
ests were greatly enhanced. So strong did she become that from 
the last quarter of the thirteenth century to the beginning of the 
fourteenth, or for a period of about thirty years, its sway reached 
from the Elbe to the Adriatic and Bohemia became one of the 
most powerful kingdoms of Europe. The house of Luxemburg 

204 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 



20; 



then gained control, and several of the kings of Bohemia were also 
emperors of Germany. This fact is indicated in the following 
outline : 



Historical Outline 

Germany 

Frederick II, 1215-1250. 
Conrad IV, 1250- 1254. 
Rudolph I, of Hapsburg, 1273- 

1291. Founder of the present 

house of Austria. 
Adolphus of Nassau, 1292- 1298. 
Albert I, 1298-1308. Of Haps- 
burg. 
Henry VII, of Luxemburg, 

1308-1313. 
Louis the Bavarian, 1 314-1347. 
Charles IV, of Luxemburg, 

1347-1378. 
Wenceslas (Wenzel), 1378- 

1400. 
Rupert, of the Palatinate, 1400- 

1410. 
Sigismund, 1411-1437. Last 
Luxemburg Emperor. 
Albert II, of Hapsburg, 1438- 

H39- 
Frederick III, 1440-1493. 



Bohemia 

Ottocar II, 1 253- 1 278. 

John of Luxemburg, 1310-1346. 

Charles IV (of Luxemburg), 

1 346- 1 378. 
Wenceslas, 1378-1419. 
Sigismund, 1419-1437. 
Podiebrad, 1458-1471. 



The Stories 
The Wanton. 1909. Frances Harrod 

The ambitions of Frederick II, Emperor of Germany and 
King of Sicily, relative to the subjugation of Lombardy, and the 
limitation of the office of the Popes, brought him into continual 
conflict both in Germany and Italy. In a former section consider- 
able attention was given to the strife between Frederick and the 
papacy. The Council held at Lyons in 1245 was the thirteenth 
General Council. At this Council Frederick was declared to be 
guilty of perjury, heresy and sacrilege. He was also declared to 



206 HISTORICAL FICTION 

be deposed, and hostilities were opened and organized against the 
Hohenstaufen. 

In 1 167 the Lombard League was formed by the Lombard 
communes against the emperor, and in 1 183 the cities of the League 
secured their liberties. 

This story deals with the time of this emperor in Germany, 
the pronouncements of the Council of Lyons, and the conflict be- 
tween Frederick and the papacy. 

The Boy and the Baron. 1901. Adeline Knapp 

During the Great Interregnum, following the passing of the 
Hohenstaufen House, Germany was practically without a head. 
"The decentralizing forces long at work in Germany seemed 
completely triumphant. The imperial domains passed into the 
hands of the princes. The feudal barons, secure in their strong 
castles, ruled as they pleased; peasants were tortured and op- 
pressed, and merchants were robbed at will ; 'fist-right' — the rule 
of the strongest — was the only law the nobles recognized." In 
1272 the Pope ordered a new election, and Rudolph of the house 
of Hapsburg, and founder of the present house of Austria, was 
raised to the throne. In 1276 he vanquished Ottocar II of Bohemia 
and forced him to give up Austria, Styria and Carinthia. In 
1278 Ottocar renewed the war and was defeated and slain. 

This story is concerned with the lawless state of things in 
Germany, and the manner in which the barons appropriated what- 
ever they could seize. It sets forth the measures of Rudolph in 
correcting this state of things and securing regard for royal 
authority. 

Crushed Yet Conquering. 1892. Deborah Alcock 

John Huss of Bohemia (1369-1415) was a religious reformer. 
After studying theology and philosophy at the University of 
Prague he became a professor in the university in 1398. He 
severely denounced the criticisms of the Church of the writings of 
Wycliffe of England, and commended Wycliffe and his work. 
Pope Alexander issued a proclamation laying prohibitions upon 
preaching, which Huss defied. He was summoned to Rome to 
defend his principles, which he ignored, and was excommunicated. 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 207 

Together with Jerome he started a campaign against papal indul- 
gences, and was expelled from Prague. He then wrote a treatise 
denying all Church authority. Assured by Wenceslaus the king 
and Emperor Sigismund of a safe conduct, he appeared before 
the Council of Constance in 141 4. His doctrines were condemned, 
he was burned at the stake and his ashes cast into the Rhine. 

The work of Huss, however, did not cease with his death. It 
resulted in the establishment of the Moravian Church. The Mora- 
vians built the town of Herrnhut, in Saxony, which is still the 
headquarters of the Church, and from this point their doctrines 
have spread throughout Germany, England and America. 

This story deals with the work of this reformer leading to 
his martyrdom, and lays special emphasis upon the influence of 
the teachings of Huss as they are perpetuated by the Church in 
which they are embodied. In 1377 the papacy returned to Rome 
from Avignon. The demand was for an Italian Pope, and when 
Urban VI was elected by the cardinals, his methods were so 
violent that they then attempted to dismiss him and appointed 
in his stead Clement VII. A schism was created that lasted for 
forty years. A conference to bring about a joint abdication of 
both Popes was called for, but it never convened. It was then 
that Charlier de Jean Gerson, a French theologian, zealously urged 
a general council by which to end the schism. This Frenchman 
is an important personage in the story. 

The Gleaming Dawn. 1896. James Baker 

The followers of Huss, so far from being intimidated by the 
action of the powers in taking his life, took up arms in defense of 
their principles, which was the beginning of the Hussite Wars 
(1419). In John Ziska they had a strong leader. They captured 
Prague. A crusade was then organized against them, but they 
repeatedly defeated the troops of Sigismund, who, in that year, 
had come to the throne of Bohemia. They also devastated large 
sections of Germany. When Ziska died in 1424 they found an- 
other leader in Procopius, who distinguished himself by his vic- 
tories. In 1426 they were victorious in the battle of Aussig, and in 
1427 in the battle of Mies. 

This story has its setting in these historical events. In a 
former section is detailed the case of John Oldcastle, who was 



208 HISTORICAL FICTION 

burned as a heretic in 14 17, or two years after the martyrdom of 
John Huss. Oldcastle is introduced into this story. It describes 
the storming and taking of Prague by the Hussites, and their vic- 
tories as set forth above. 

The Cardinal's Page. 1898. James Baker 

In 1429-30 the Hussites ravaged Saxony, Franconia and Ba- 
varia. In the following year they were victorious at Taus. 

This story is a continuation of these wars, setting forth the 
victories of the Hussites, and the defensive measures against 
their operations. Cardinal Beaufort of England, the son of John 
of Gaunt, a loyal and patriotic subject and whose vast means 
more than once saved England in her extremities, is one of the 
personages in this story. 

Wenzel's Inheritance. 1880. Annie Lucas 

There were two parties of the Hussites. The Taborites were 
of a radical and extreme type and carried things to an excess. 
The Calixtines were a much more moderate party. They became 
alienated from the Taborites by their excesses, and when they 
secured certain concessions, such as the right to preach in the 
Bohemian tongue and the reform of clerical disorders, they 
acknowledged Sigismund as king. This compromise was effected 
at the Council of Basel in 1433, and was called the Compactata 
of Prague. In the following year the Taborites were vanquished 
by the Calixtines at Bohmisch-Brod and their leader, Procopius, 
was slain. They declined as a political party, and finally became 
merged in the Bohemian Brethren. 

This story sets forth these affairs relative to the Hussites, and 
carries the history beyond the point of the period within which 
we are now confined. 



CHAPTER XI 
THE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE 

Theodosius the Great divided his dominions between his two 
sons. Arcadius received the East and became the first of the 
Byzantine emperors. As a separate dynasty this empire lasted 
for a thousand years. 

Basil I was the founder of the Macedonian dynasty, which 
continued from 867 to 1057. During the reign of Basil Sicily 
was conquered by the Saracens, who also carried on their depreda- 
tions in the Peloponnesus. To withstand these Saracenic inva- 
sions Leo II, son of Basil, called upon the Turks for assistance. 

The increase of the Mohammedan power created great appre- 
hension in Christian Europe, and it was during the reign of 
Alexius Comnenus (1081-1118) that the Crusade movement be- 
gan, as has been fully set forth in that section of our study. The 
Latin Empire (1204-1261) was established when Constantinople 
was taken by the Crusaders, the first emperor of which was Bald- 
win of Flanders. This empire never attained to any great 
strength, and in 1261 Michael Palaeologus, emperor of Nicaea, 
took Constantinople and brought the Latin Empire to an end and 
restored the Greek Empire. 

From this time the dynasty of the Palaeologi continued until 
the fall of the empire in 1453. The great menace that now threat- 
ened the empire was the advent of the Ottoman Turks, the name 
being derived from their sultan, Othman. In 1330 they took 
Nicaea and Nicomedia, which made them the ruling power in 
Asia Minor. Thirty years afterwards the Sultan Amurath ex- 
tended his conquests to Adrianople, Macedonia and Albania. Be- 
fore another century had passed an army of 400,000 Turks under 
Mohammed II were at the gates of Constantinople. Following a 
siege of fifty-three days the city fell and the Byzantine Empire 
disappeared (1453). 

Historical Outline 

Arcadius, 395-408. 
Theodosius II, 408-450. 

209 



210 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Leo I, 457-474- 

Zeno, 474-491. 

Justin I, 518-527. 

Justinian, 527-565. 

Mauritius, 582-602. 

Heraclius, 610-641. 

Leo the Isaurian, 717-741. 

Irene, 780-802. 

The Macedonian Dynasty, 867-1057. 

Basil I, 867-886. 

Leo II, 886-912. 

Nicephorus Phocas, 963-969. 

John Zimisces, 969-976. 

Basil II, 976-1025. 
Isaac Comnenus, 1057-1059. 
Alexius Comnenus I, 1081-1118. 
Manuel Comnenus, 1143-1180. 
Baldwin I of Flanders, 1204-1205. Latin Empire. 
Michael Palaeologus, 1261-1282. Overthrow of the Latin and 

restoration of the Greek Empire. 
Andromicus Palaeologus, 1282- 1328. 
John Cantacuzenus, 1341-1355. 
John Palaeologus, 1 355-1 391. 
Manuel Palaeologus, 1 391 -1425. 
John Palaeologus II, 1425-1448. 

Constantine Palaeologus, 1448-1453. Fall of the Eastern 
Empire. 

The Stories 
Sir Raoul. 1905. James M. Ludlow 

This American Presbyterian clergyman and author (1841-) 
was born at Elizabeth, N. J. In 1861 he graduated from Prince- 
ton University, and in 1864 completed his theological training at 
the same institution. He held pastorates in the states of New 
York and New Jersey. 

The Fourth Crusade was instigated by Pope Innocent III in 
1202. Its promoters were Boniface of Montferrat, who was 
appointed leader, Geoffrey de Villehardouin, Baldwin of Flanders 
and Louis of Blois. They started from Venice, bnt instead of 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 211 

going to the Holy Land, as was their original intention, they 
captured the town of Zara in Dalmatia, which was followed by 
the capture and sack of Constantinople. Here they established a 
Latin Empire, with Baldwin I of Flanders as Emperor. This 
empire was overthrown in 1261. Enrico Dandolo was made doge 
of Venice in 1192. He was one of the principal leaders of the 
expedition of the Venetians in this Crusade. His republic shared 
in the partition of the Byzantine dominions at this time. A few 
years ago a document was unearthed according to which there was 
an agreement between the Moslems and Dandolo that bound the 
latter to prevent any invasion of Moslem territory', and for which 
the Moslems were to grant trade rights to Venice instead of to 
western cities. If this document is authentic, then it would appear 
that this Crusade was in violation of this contract, as far as the 
Venetians were concerned. 

This story is based upon these facts, including the Crusade, 
with the scenes laid in Venice, Italy, Germany, Constantinople. 
Baldwin of Flanders, who, with Dandolo and other historical per- 
sonages figure in the story. Baldwin's reign in Constantinople 
was brief as his death occurred in 1205. 

The Captain of the Janizaries. 1886. James M.Ludlow 

Scanderbeg (1404-1467), whose real name was George Cas- 
triota, was an Albanian. As a guarantee for the allegiance of the 
Albanian chiefs, in 1423 he was delivered to the Turks as one 
of the hostages. His intelligence and fine appearance so attracted 
Amurath II that he was placed in the palace and trained in Islam- 
ism. In 1443 ne escaped with 300 Albanians and occupied the 
town of Croia. This so encouraged the Albanians that they rose 
in revolt, and in a month's time Scanderbeg had expelled all the 
Turks from the country. The following year at the head of an 
army of 15,000 he utterly defeated a Turkish army nearly three 
times as large, and the same fate befel three other armies sent 
against him. Amruth II took the field himself and at Croia was 
vanquished. He defeated the Turks in 22 pitched battles. 

Scanderbeg received congratulations from the Pope and the 
rulers of Naples and Aragon. Following the capture of Constan- 
tinople by the Turks in 1453, Mohammed II in 1461 made satis- 
factory terms with Scanderbeg and the latter went to Italy, where 



212 HISTORICAL FICTION 

he espoused the cause of the Arogonese in Naples against the 
partisans of the house of Anjou. 

In this story Scanderbeg is the leading historical character. 
The facts just noted constitute much of the historical setting. 
Moslem ideas and customs and the place of the Koran in the life 
of the people are detailed. The Janizaries, of whom Scanderbeg 
was one, occupy an important place. 

The first regular standing army of the Turks called "J a m za ~ 
ries" (new soldiers) was formed by Orkhan in 1330. This army 
was composed largely of young Christian prisoners, who were 
forced to accept Mahomet. It became an honor to be admitted 
into their ranks, a privilege sought by many young Turks. At 
times the Janizaries, who lived in barracks, numbered 100,000, 
while the regular militia, scattered over the empire, numbered 
from 300,000 to 400,000. An Ago, or chief, was the head of the 
whole force and enjoyed great distinction, having vested in him 
unlimited power over his army. In war they were celebrated for 
bravery, and from their number was formed the sultan's body- 
guard. 

As their power increased they hatched conspiracies, and sul- 
tans and viziers were assassinated. Various attempts were made 
to disband them. Not until 1826 did these attempts succeed. It 
was effected by Sultan Mahmond II, who created a new militia 
after the order of European armies. Under the flag of the 
prophet he forced the Janizaries into their barracks and set the 
torch to them, and about 8,000 perished in the flames. About 
15,000 were executed, and over 20,000 were banished. From that 
time this military order has ceased to exist. 

The Prince of India. 1893. Lew Wallace 

With an overwhelming force Mohammed II in 1453 began the 
siege of Constantinople. Every means was employed. Foreign 
engineers had built the Turkish cannon, which were on a larger 
scale than had ever before been used. Constantine Palaeologus 
was the last monarch of the Byzantine Empire and he made a 
brave defence. After a siege of fifty-three days the Janizaries 
burst through the gates. Constantine was slain, thousands made 
captives and the city plundered. The treasures were taken from 
the Church of St. Sophia, and it was made a Mohammedan 
mosque. 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 213 

A thousand years after the fall of the Western Empire the 
Eastern Empire ceased to exist. "But it had not existed in vain ; 
for all through the Dark Ages when the Roman civilization of 
Western Europe had succumbed to the barbarians, the precious 
legacy of the ancients was guarded and preserved for the modern 
world. And, furthermore, the Byzantine Empire stood as a 
bulwark against the barbaric hordes of Asia until the growing 
nations gathered strength to withstand their onsets. When we 
realize that without it all that was best in the world's past would 
have been lost, all that is best in modern civilization retarded for 
hundreds of years, then only is the true significance of the Byzan- 
tine Empire understood." 

In this story the hero assumes the character of the Wandering 
Jew. He is with Mohammed II during the siege, and has a special 
grievance against Constantine. It is the night before the taking 
of the city and the Prince of India says to Mohammed: "'To- 
morrow I will leave the herd to the herd. In the currents of the 
fight I will hunt but one enemy — Constantine. Judge thou my 
cause/ Then he told of Lael — of his love for her — of her abduc- 
tion by Demedes — his supplication for the emperor's assistance — 
the refusal. Steadily the sun arose. Half the street was in its 
light, the other half in its shade ; yet the struggle endured. . . . 
Suddenly a louder shouting arose behind them. They who could 
looked to see what it meant, and the bravest stood still at the sight 
of the Janizaries swarming on the galley. Over the roasting 
bodies of their comrades, undeterred by the inextinguishable fire, 
they had crossed the ditch, and were slaying the imperial body- 
guard. Up rose a wail! 'The Janizaries, the Janizaries!' 
Through the knot of Christians it passed — it reached Constan- 
tine in the forefront, and he gave way to the antagonist with 
whom he was engaged. 

" 'God receive my soul !' he exclaimed ; and dropping his sword 
he turned about and rushed back with wide extended arms. 

"'Friends — countrymen — is there no Christian to kill me?' 

"While those nearest stared at him . . . there came a 
man stooped, withered, very white haired, a black velvet cap on 
his head . . . .men in the heat of action forgot themselves 
— such power was there in the eyes of the apparition. The man 
in velvet stood before the Emperor. 

"'Prince of India!' 



214 HISTORICAL FICTION 

"'You know me? It is well; for now I know you are not 
beyond remembering. Remember the day I prayed you on my 
knees to lend me your power to save my child, stolen for a purpose 
by all peoples held unholy. Behold your executioner !' He stepped 
back and Nilo, who had followed his master unnoticed, sprang 
into the master's place and drew the assegai across the face of 
the astonished emperor Constantine — never great till that moment 
of death, but then great forever — fell forward upon his shield, 
calling in strangled utterance : 'God receive my soul.' " 

When the struggle is over and the city is taken the Prince of 
India comes back to consciousness of himself and recalls the mo- 
ment fourteen centuries before when he struck the Man of Sor- 
rows, and by Him was condemned to perpetual existence by the 
words, "Tarry Thou Till I Come" 



CHAPTER XII 

ENGLAND. FROM THE FALL OF CONSTAN- 
TINOPLE TO THE DISCOVERY OF 
AMERICA 

I. WARS OF THE ROSES 

No sooner was England through with the long, wearisome and 
burdensome Hundred Years' War, which ended in 1453, than she 
was plunged into another — a war at home — that was to keep the 
country in a state of strife and unrest for another thirty years. 

Henry VI of the house of Lancaster was on the throne, but 
no child as yet had been born to him and his wife Margaret. The 
Duke of York was the heir to the throne. After Bedford's death 
he had been regent in France. His great rival was the Duke of 
Somerset, Edmund Beaufort, the son of the rich cardinal. He 
succeeded in having Somerset arrested and Parliament made the 
Duke of York Protector. In the meantime a son was born to 
the king and queen and York was no longer heir to the throne. 
Henry, who had been insane, recovered his reason and restored 
Somerset, and then York determined to settle the matter of his 
claims by force of arms. 

He gathered his followers in the north and the Earl of War- 
wick, the "king maker," supported his claims. Thus we have 
the cause of these wars. The badge of the Yorkists was the white 
rose, and that of the Lancastrians the red rose. 

Reign of Henry VI 

We have already, in connection with the Hundred Years' War, 
noted the characteristics of Henry. He married Margaret of 
Anjou, daughter of the Duke of Lorraine and Anjou and titular 
king of Naples, Sicily and Jerusalem. Margaret was a strong 
suppor'er of Suffolk and Somerset, and a bitter enemy of the 
Duke of York and of Gloucester. In her violent political attitudes 
she was the antithesis of her mild husband, who was so disquali- 
fied by fits of insanity. 

215 



216 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The Stories 

The Triple Crown. 1912. Rose Schuster 

This story carries us through the various incidents of Henry's 
life, his marriage with Margaret and the vicissitudes of the Wars 
of the Roses. His marriage was very unpopular in England. 
His spells of insanity and recovery are dealt with, and his death. 
He was taken prisoner several times by the Yorkists, and in 1471 
was found dead in the Tower, probably murdered, as was gen- 
erally believed, by the order of Edward IV. 

The Queen's Man. 1905. Eleanor C. Price 

When the king recovered from his spell of insanity he termi- 
nated the Protectorate of the Duke of York, which brought the 
Somerset party again into power. York, seeing that his influence 
was at an end, raised troops and met the king's forces at St. Albans 
(1455). The battle lasted half an hour. Somerset was slain, 
together with other Lancastrian nobles, the king was wounded 
and the Duke of York victorious. The death of Somerset de- 
prived Margaret of her most trusted counsellor. She was obliged 
to take refuge in Scotland. 

The battle of Northampton was in favor of the Yorkists and 
York was acknowledged as heir to the crown. This, however, 
would deprive Margaret's son of the succession. She raised an 
army and met the Yorkists at Wakefield (1460). She was vic- 
torious and the Duke of York was slain. 

In this story these two first battles of the war are described 
and the king and queen are introduced. In the romantic part of 
the story no complications are entered since the Earl, who serves 
the queen most loyally, is in love with a girl whose family sup- 
ports the Lancastrian cause. 

The Black Arrow. 1888. Louis Robert Stevenson 

The author (1850-1894), a Scottish poet, essayist, and writer 
of fiction, was born in Edinburgh. After studying law and being 
admitted to the Scottish bar he found that his inclination and 
ability were in the field of literature. He gathered materials for 
some of his books during his travels in France and Belgium. He 
crossed the ocean as a steerage passenger and traveled across the 
American continent to California in an immigrant train so as to 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 21; 

describe his experiences in The Amateur Emigrant and Across 
the Plain. In 1890 he settled in Samoa. Treasure Island, Prince 
Otto, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and other works brought him large 
success. 

This story comprises history and adventure. It is a juvenile 
romance of the Wars of the Roses. An heiress escapes from the 
man she is being compelled to marry by a rascally guardian. It 
happens that they cross each other's pathway, and as she is dis- 
guised as a boy, he has no suspicion of her sex. They have wild 
adventures at the hands of outlaws, and their comradeship de- 
velops into a true affection. Richard of Gloucester is a distinctive 
character in the story. 

The Men of Harlech. 1896. William Greener 

The scene is laid in Wales in the time of Henry VI and Ed- 
ward IV and sets forth the strife of the two houses for the crown. 
The besieging of Harlech Castle by the forces of York holds an 
important place in the story. 

Reign of Edward IV 

Edward (1461-1483) was the son of Richard, Duke of York, 
and Cicely Neville, sister of Richard, Earl of Salisbury. He en- 
dangered his position by marrying Lady Elizabeth Grey, the 
daughter of Richard Woodville, a baron of the house of Lancaster. 
The Earl of Warwick and the Nevilles were planning a French 
alliance and this marriage created great disfavor. It was a secret 
marriage (1464), and the breach between Edward and Warwick 
increased steadily and at last in 1467 relations were severed. Ed- 
ward's brother, the Duke of Clarence, supported Warwick's atti- 
tude, and the king's popularity greatly suffered. 

The Stories 
In Steel and Leather. 1904. Robert H. Forster 

After Margaret gained the victory at Wakefield she proceeded 
towards London and was met at St. Albans by Warwick. The 
Lancastrians gained the day, the king was released and Warwick 
was compelled to retire. This was the second battle fought at 
St. Albans (1461). 



218 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Edward IV was a born soldier. He met the Lancastrians at 
Towton (1461) and won a bloody battle. The Lancastrians were 
overwhelmed by their defeat. After this battle Margaret retired 
to Scotland, collected forces and, early in 1464, invaded England. 
She took several castles and was supported by Somerset and the 
Percies. The Yorkists under Montague met the Lancastrians at 
Hedgeley Moor in Northumberland and totally defeated them. 
Sir Ralph Percy was slain. 

This story deals with the war as it was waged in Northumber- 
land. The defeat of Margaret and the Lancastrians by Montague 
is well set forth. 

Red and White. 1883. Emily S. Holt 

Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, was the richest and greatest 
of English barons. Six hundred armed followers were at his 
command. He regarded himself as the guardian of the fortunes 
of the house of York. He loved power and was ambitious to 
secure it. Warwick was the English Bismarck of the fifteenth 
century, with this difference, that as a great baron he had himself 
wealth and resources to rival those of the king. Again, he was 
the cousin of the king whom he served. 

We have already noted the rupture between Warwick and 
Edward and the fact that Clarence, the king's brother, was sup- 
porting Warwick in the position he had taken. Edward, by proofs 
he had gathered, was now certain that Warwick and Clarence 
were plotting against him. In 1470 Louis XI had brought about 
a reconciliation between Margaret and Warwick. In the same 
year Warwick returned from France with an army and Edward 
fled to Flanders. In 1471 he returned with an army and met 
Warwick at Barnet on Easter Day. The tide of fortune was 
turned from Warwick when Clarence, his son-in-law, deserted 
him and joined his brother. It was a bloody battle. Warwick 
was slain and Edward was victorious. 

With Warwick disposed of Edward now turned his attention 
to Margaret. Edward, the son of Margaret and Henry VI, who 
was created Prince of Wales in 1454, after the battle of Towton 
accompanied his mother to Scotland. In 1470 he married Anne 
Neville, daughter of the Earl of Warwick. Edward IV overtook 
the forces of Margaret at Tewkesbury (1471). The Yorkists 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 219 

were victorious. Margaret's son Edward was in the battle and 
was slain, or was put to death immediately afterwards. Edward 
returned to London, and on the same night Henry VI died in the 
Tower, and, as generally believed, by Edward's order. 

This story covers a considerable period of the war. It carries 
the history from the time of the battle of Wakefield and the 
second battle of St. Albans through the leading events as related 
to the movements of Warwick, Edward and the battles at Barnet 
and Tewkesbury. In other words, the events as set forth in the 
sketch above. It also includes the death of Margaret's son. The 
historical personages of the sketch are introduced in the story. 

In the Wars of the Roses. 1891. Evelyn E. Green 

We have traced in a general way the circumstances of Prince 
Edward, son of Margaret and Henry VI. His birth shattered 
the hopes of the Duke of York, and in the attempts of the latter 
to force his claims to the throne he fell in the first battle. Prince 
Edward, in support of the claims of his house, is put to death 
after the battle of Tewkesbury. As the result of these contentions 
thirteen battles have already been fought. Following the death of 
Prince Edward and Henry VI Margaret herself remained in 
prison till 1476. Louis XI ransomed her by the payment of 
50,000 crowns. She ended her life in retirement and poverty. 

This is a story of Prince Edward in these days of war, of 
peril and bloodshed, and ending at last in his own death at the 
hands of those who contested his claims. 

The Last of the Barons. 1843. Bulwer-Lytton 

In this admirably constructed work, crowded with historical 
materials, the subject matter is worked out and related with un- 
usual care and presented in a most effective manner. It sets forth 
the antagonism that arose between Warwick and Edward IV. It 
not only deals with the events as in the extended description of 
the battle of Barnet, but it is an interpretation of these times, the 
state of society and the ruling motives of the principals. The ra- 
pidity with which incidents, revolutions and movements follow one 
another is amazing, and the historicity of events is well sustained. 
Lytton regarded Warner, the inventor, one of his best conceptions, 



220 HISTORICAL FICTION 

while the inventor's daughter was another of his favorites. Rich- 
ard III is introduced, and in a strong paragraph the fate of the 
son of Edward IV is anticipated. Edward has returned in tri- 
umph from the battle of Barnet in which Warwick was slain. The 
crowd has raised the cry : "Long live the king and the king's 
son!" and the story adds, "Mechanically, Elizabeth turned her 
moistened eyes from Edward to Edward's brother, and suddenly 
clasped her infant closer to her bosom, when she caught the glit- 
tering and fatal eye of Richard, Duke of Gloucester — Warwick's 
grim avenger in the future — fixed upon that harmless life, destined 
to interpose a feeble obstacle between the ambition of a ruthless 
intellect and the heritage of the English throne !" 



Jane Shore. 1905. Joyce E. Muddock 

This historical character, Jane Shore, was born about 1450, 
and according to one account died about 1527, while by others it 
is placed nearly twenty years earlier. In 1470 she deserted her 
husband, William Shore, a London goldsmith, to become the 
mistress of Edward IV, over whom her attractions and accom- 
plishments seem to have exerted a strong influence. Following 
Edward's death she lived with Lord Hastings. In 1483 Richard 
charged her with attempting to injure him by sorcery. The thing 
that most likely disturbed Richard, and what was the real reason 
for his accusation, was the fact that she was employed to serve 
political purposes as an intermediary in the interests of Hastings 
and the Woodville party. Richard had her arraigned before the 
ecclesiastical body on the charge of harlotry and witchcraft, and 
she was compelled to do penance in the open streets, "going before 
the cross in procession upon a Sunday with a taper in her hand." 
After the death of Hastings the Marquis of Dorset served her 
ends, but he was banished and she was cast into prison at Ludgate. 
Here she seems to have attracted Lyons, the king's solicitor, who 
married her. In 1714 Nicholas Rowe wrote his tragedy, Jane 
Shore, in which the author makes her husband, William Shore, 
come to her rescue in her disgrace, but he is seized by the agents 
of Richard, and Jane dies. 

This story has its setting in these facts and circumstances and 
gives the relations Jane Shore sustained to the king and Hastings. 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 221 

Edward IV appears in Shakespeare's historical dramas, Henry 
VI and Richard III, in which his profligacy is exhibited. 

Reign of Richard III 

When Edward IV died in 1483 his son was crowned king. He 
was then thirteen years of age. He was at Ludlow when his 
father died and set out at once for London. Richard, Duke of 
Gloucester, met the young king and his brother, his nephews, at 
Stony Stratford, and on May 4 they reached London. 

The coronation was fixed for June 22. Richard seems to 
have been recognized already as Protector. Edward and his 
brother were lodged in the Tower. A few days before the time 
fixed for the coronation Hastings, Grey and Rivers were be- 
headed. On June 22 Dr. Shaw delivered a sermon in which he 
declared that Edward's two sons were illegitimate, Edward hav- 
ing been married, or at all events betrothed, to Lady Eleanor 
Butler previous to his marriage with Elizabeth Woodville. 

The two brothers were confined in the Tower, and between 
June and October of 1483 they were assassinated by the order of 
Richard, their uncle. That there can be no doubt about this is 
clear from the investigations of Mr. Gardiner, who sums up the 
facts in the following statement : "Some time after Richard had 
set out on his progress he sent a messenger named John Green to 
Sir Robert Brackenbury, the Constable of the Tower, command- 
ing him to put his two young nephews to death. This order 
Brackenbury would not obey, and Green returned to his master 
at Warwick. Richard was greatly mortified, but sent Sir James 
Tyrell to London with a warrant to Brackenbury to deliver up 
to him for one night all the keys of the Tower. Tyrell thus took 
the place into his keeping, and engaged the services of Miles 
Forest, one of those who kept the Princes' chamber, and John 
Dighton, his own groom, to carry out the wishes of the tyrant. 
These men entered the chamber when the lads were asleep, and 
smothered them under pillows; then having called Sir James 
to see the bodies, buried them at the foot of a staircase." 

The details of the murder were obtained from a confession 
made by Sir James Tyrell in 1502, when he was imprisoned in 
the Tower on a charge of treason. This confession was confirmed 
by a discovery made in the reign of Charles II. Under the stair- 
case leading to the chapel in the White Tower, were found buried 



222 HISTORICAL FICTION 

the skeletons of two young boys, whose ages would correspond 
with those of the princes. 

It will be remembered that Edward IV secretely married 
Elizabeth Woodville, the daughter of Richard Woodville, Earl 
Rivers, which displeased Warwick and started the breach between 
them. In the Wars of the Roses her father fought on the Lan- 
castrian side, but Edward raised him to high honors. He was 
made Constable of England and was created Earl Rivers, and 
his sons were also given distinctive positions. In 1469 Sir William 
Conyers headed a rebellion. The rebels found fault with the in- 
fluence of the queen's friends. They defeated the royal troops at 
Edgecote, then seized Earl Rivers and his son, and put them to 
death at Coventry. 

Richard III was the son of Richard Duke of York, who was 
killed at Wakefield in his attempt to maintain his claim to the 
throne. Richard was therefore brother to Edward IV and the 
Duke of Clarence. He fought in the battle of Tewkesbury on 
the Yorkist side. In 1472 he married Anne Neville, the widow 
of Prince Edward, son of Margaret and Henry VI. Anne was 
the daughter of the Earl of Warwick. His brother Clarence also 
married a daughter of the Earl, and Richard's marriage involved 
him in a fierce quarrel with his brother relative to the Earl's 
inheritance. 

Lord William Hastings (1430-1483) was a favorite of Ed- 
ward IV, from whom he received grants of land and was raised 
to high positions. He commanded part of the army at the battle 
of Barnet. He had also supported Richard against the Wood- 
villes. In June, 1483, at a sitting of the Council, Richard charged 
the queen and her friends with a plot against his life. The queen's 
party was headed by Hastings. The latter was suddenly seized 
by the orders of the Protector, and, without a trial, was hurried 
off to execution on a charge of conspiracy. The reason for this 
sudden execution was not because of a plot against his life, but 
because Hastings was unwilling to support Richard's nefarious 
schemes for obtaining the throne. Hastings had married Mar- 
garet Neville, sister of the Earl of Warwick, hence the connection 
between him and Richard through their wives. 

The Duke of Buckingham, by his marriage with Catherine 
Woodville, daughter of Earl Rivers, made him the brother-in-law 
of Edward IV. He was the chief agent in obtaining the crown 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 223 

for Richard III, it being claimed that the latter's right to the 
crown lay in the illegitimacy of the sons of Edward IV. Richard 
had not been king many months before a rupture between him 
and Buckingham was created, mainly because of Richard's refusal 
to allow him any portion of the inheritance of the Bohuns to 
which Buckingham had a claim. 

His relations with the king were severed, and influenced by 
the Bishop of Ely he planned an insurrection having as its objec- 
tive the placing of Henry, the Earl of Richmond, on the throne. 
The Woodville party supported the plan, which should be effected 
by Buckingham leading a revolution in the west of England, and 
by Richmond landing his forces in the south. The force that 
Buckingham raised in Wales was not only small, but his move- 
ments were hindered by the rains that had swollen the rivers and 
had broken down the bridges over the Severn. Unable to secure 
provisions the majority of his men deserted him and he took 
refuge in Shropshire. His place of concealment was betrayed 
by one of his men, he was captured, taken to Salisbury and exe- 
cuted without trial. 

The Stories 
Beatrix of Clare. 1907. John R. Scott 

The sketch of the events pertaining to Richard III, and those 
with whom he had to do, contains the historical facts that consti- 
tute the background of this story. It takes up these various in- 
terests from the time of the death of Edward IV, the operations 
of the Woodvilles, the execution of Grey and Rivers, the stormy 
scene in the Council at which time Hastings was rushed to his 
execution, the death of the Princes, Buckingham's insurrection, 
its failure, his capture and death, etc. Instead of portraying 
Richard as a monster the characterization is quite to the contrary. 
Other historical personages are introduced. Francis Lovel was 
one of Richard's chief favorites and advisers. He was made 
Constable of the Household. He fought in the battle of Bosworth 
(1485), and also the battle of Stoke (1487), and was supposed 
to have been slain in the latter, but in a secret chamber at Minster 
a skeleton was found, and it is probable that he escaped to the 
house and there died. 

Richard Ratcliffe was in the confidence of Richard III. and 



224 HISTORICAL FICTION 

it was he who induced Richard to abandon the plan of marrying 
his niece Elizabeth. William Catesby was one of Richard's min- 
isters, and had been aided in securing his advancement by Lord 
Hastings. He deserted Hastings when the latter fell into disre- 
pute with the king. He was captured at the battle of Bosworth 
and by the orders of Henry VII was put to death. These three 
leading advisers of Richard — Catesby, Ratcliffe and Lovel — are 
held up in contempt with him in the well-known contemporary 
rhyme : 

"The Cat, the Rat, and Lovel the Dog, 
Rule all England under the Hog." 

Morton was appointed Bishop of Ely and Chancellor by Ed- 
ward IV. He was looked upon with suspicion by Richard, who 
gave him into the keeping of the Duke of Buckingham. We have 
already noted his part in Buckingham's rebellion. He escaped 
to Henry Tudor on the Continent and became one of his principal 
advisers. When Henry became king, Morton was made one of 
the Privy Council, and in i486 Archbishop of Canterbury. He 
was created a cardinal in 1493. 

All of these historical personages appear in the story. 

Under the Red Rose. 1910. Escott Lynn 

Henry VII was the son of Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond, 
and Margaret the Great granddaughter of John of Gaunt. After 
the battle of Tewkesbury, Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke, took 
his nephew to Brittany for safety. .Henry was then fourteen 
years of age. Edward IV used every means to get him into his 
power, and Richard had a special agent in Brittany taking note of 
Henry's movements. The English exiles saw in him their only 
hope. Morton was his adviser, and he and his mother furnished 
him all the money in their power. 

In 1485 he landed at Milford Haven in Pembroke, where the 
Welsh gave him a cordial welcome. At Shropshire he was joined 
by the Talbots. Richard advanced to meet him, and the two 
armies came together near the little town of Bosworth. The 
battle was decided by Lord Stanley, who was the brother of 
Henry's step-father, Justice of North Wales and Constable under 
Richard III. Henry met him at Atherstone on his way to meet 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 225 

Richard. He went over to Henry's side and it was agreed that he 
should keep out of the fight until the critical moment had come. 
This plan was pursued and at the right moment Stanley joined 
Henry's forces. When Richard saw that he was betrayed and 
deserted he cried out "Treason, treason !" Richard was defeated. 
The crown was picked up on the field of battle and placed by 
William Stanley on the head of Henry, who was at once saluted 
as king by the whole army. 

Stanley was made Lord Chamberlain and was one of Henry's 
counsellors. He made continual demands upon the king, which 
alienated the latter. He became mixed up in the affair of War- 
beck, who claimed to be the son of Edward IV. He was arrested 
for treason with the evidence submitted, was condemned and 
executed (1495). 

This story deals with the history from the close of the reign 
of Edward IV to the battle of Bosworth. From the coronation 
of Richard the events that have been outlined in the sketch enter 
into the story — the doing away with the Princes, the operations of 
the Lancastrians, etc., and the final scenes in Richard's life begin- 
ning with Henry's landing in the country. The leading persons 
are introduced. 

The Woodman. 1842. George P. R. James 

This story deals with the same period — the time of Richard 
III and the battle of Bosworth. 

The battle of Bosworth brought to a close the Wars of the 
Roses and the Plantagenet Dynasty. The following list gives the 
battles in their chronological order: 

First Battle of St. Albans — 1455 — Yorkist victory. 

Battle of Blore Heath — 1459 — Yorkist victory. 

Battle of Northampton — 1460 — Yorkist victory. 

Battle of Wakefield — 1460 — Lancastrian victory. 

Battle of Mortimer's Cross — 1461 — Yorkist victory. 

Second Battle of St. Albans — 1461 — Lancastrian victory. 

Battle of Towton — 1461 — Yorkist victory. 

Battle of Hedgeley Moor — 1464 — Yorkist victory. 

Battle of Hexham — 1464 — Yorkist victory. 

Battle of Edgecote — 1469 — Insurgent victory. 



226 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Battle of Loosecoat Field — 1470 — Yorkist victory. 
Battle of Barnet — 1471 — Yorkist victory. 
Battle of Tewkesbury — 1471 — Yorkist victory. 
Battle of Bosworth — 1485 — Defeat of Richard and end of the 
Plantagenet rule. 

Shakespeare's Richard III takes up the history after the battle 
of Tewkesbury and ends with the fall of Richard at Bosworth. 

II. HOUSE OF TUDOR 
Reign of Henry VII 

The Tudor family was of Welsh origin. Owen Tudor fought 
on the Lancastrian side during the Wars of the Roses, and mar- 
ried the widow of Henry V. The fortunes of the family were 
founded by the marriage of the Earl of Richmond with Margaret, 
daughter of the Earl of Somerset, the heiress of the illegitimate 
branch of the house of Lancaster. The latter adopted Henry, 
Earl of Richmond, as the only possible candidate for the throne, 
and was the one about whom the English exiles built their hopes. 
Defeating Richard in the battle of Bosworth, he took the crown 
as Henry VII and married Elizabeth, the daughter of Edward IV, 
thus uniting the warring factions, the house of York and the house 
of Lancaster. 

Henry was a man of strong character and strong principles. 
He was a great builder. He had a tender regard for his mother. 
She founded St. John's and Christ's Colleges at Cambridge, and 
divinity professorships in the two universities. She also trans- 
lated parts of The Imitation of Christ into English. Henry's 
reign was disturbed by repeated insurrections, and he had the 
annoyance of such impositions as those of Warbeck and Simnel. 

The principal task Henry set himself was the elimination of 
old factions, and establishing a firm and settled government for 
the people, and in this he succeeded. His policy of curbing the 
power of the feudal nobility was highly beneficial. Their hosts 
of armed retainers were henceforth to be illegal. He encouraged 
British shipping and built up English manufactures, creating 
entire free trade between England and Flanders. Thus under this 
reign the nation passed from an unsettled and turbulent state to 
a condition of order, security and prosperity. The Tudor dynasty 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 227 

continued for a period of 118 years, as indicated by the following 

outline. 

Historical Outline. 
Henry VII, 1485- 1509. 
Henry VIII, 1 509- 1547. 
Edward VI, I547"i553- 
Mary, I553-I55& 
Elizabeth, 1 558-1603. 

The Stories 
The Captain of the Wight. 1888. Frank Cowper 

Sir Edward Woodville was the brother-in-law of Edward IV, 
the latter having married his sister Elizabeth, and was also uncle 
to the queen of Henry VII, his wife Elizabeth being the daughter 
of Edward and Elizabeth. In 1488, in the first years of Henry's 
reign, he led an expedition of 400 men to aid the Duke of Brit- 
tany. The king had distinctly declared that any such expedition 
having in view any such object should not be fitted out in or leave 
England. The expedition created indignation in France, but it 
laid upon Henry the necessity of assuming a position relative to 
the dispute between Brittany and France. 

At St. Aubin the French were victorious and the small Eng- 
lish force was practically destroyed, Lord Woodville himself 
being slain. Public feeling in England was raised to a high pitch, 
and Henry was compelled to act in the matter. The result was 
that troops were dispatched to the support of Brittany, while a 
secret understanding regarding the matter existed with Charles 
VIII of France. When Woodville organized his expedition he 
was Governor of the Isle of Wight. 

The facts pertaining to this expedition constitute the historical 
setting of this story, a romance of Carisbrooke Castle in this year 
of the expedition (1488). Carisbrooke is a village in the Isle of 
Wight adjoining Newport, which was formerly the "new port" 
of Carisbrooke. It is noted principally for its castle, which is sup- 
posed to have been built by the Saxons. It was enlarged in the 
eleventh century, was captured by Stephen in 11 36 and in the 
time of Richard II resisted the attacks of the French. It was in 
this castle that Charles I took refuge in 1647, and was held for 



228 HISTORICAL FICTION 

fourteen months. After his execution his two youngest children 
were confined here. Other facts regarding the Isle of Wight can 
be located by referring to the Index. 

The Yellow Frigate. 1855. James Grant 

James III of Scotland (1460-1488), son of James II, was a 
bad ruler, a man of avaricious and cowardly disposition. In 1469 
he married Margaret, daughter of Christian, king of Denmark 
and Norway. She received as her dowry the Orkney and Shet- 
land Islands. Because of his favorites a conspiracy was raised 
against him by the Scottish nobles and several of the king's favor- 
ites were hanged. In 1488 he raised a large army in the north 
and met the insurgent lords at Sauchieburn, near Stirling. He 
was defeated and took refuge in a building called Beaton's Mill, 
near Bannockburn. Here he was slain, but who his assassin was 
is not known. 

This story has its setting in these facts. It brings out the rebel- 
lion on the part of the nobles and the defeat and death of James. 
The conflicts with the English on the Firth of Forth are also 
described. 

The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck. 1830. Mary Woll- 
stonecrof t Shelley 

This English author (1797-1851), wife of the poet, Percy 
Shelley, was born in London. Her education was supplemented 
by the intellectual stimulus imparted by the distinguished visitors 
at her father's house. In 181 4 she left England with Shelley, 
whose acquaintance she made a few months before, and which 
developed into a strong affection. At this time the poet's troubles 
with his wife Harriet exasperated him, but this unhappy problem 
was solved in 181 6 by her death. He at once married Mary God- 
win and in the main it was a happy union. She wrote romances 
and did journalistic work. 

Perkin Warbeck (1474-1499), the son of a Flemish Jew, was 
one of the greatest impostors in history. During the reign of 
Henry VII he claimed that he was Richard, Duke of York, the 
younger of the two princes, the son of Edward IV, who was mur- 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 229 

dered in the Tower by the order of Richard III. And he suc- 
ceeded in making some people believe and support his claim. 
According to the facts gathered regarding him he settled in Lon- 
don in the reign of Edward IV. When his father died in Tournay 
he went to Antwerp and managed to interest Margaret of York, 
duchess of Burgundy, in his claims. She seemed to see in him a 
resemblance to the family of York, and determined to set him up 
as a pretender to the English throne against Henry VII. 

His pretentions met with so much success in other parts that 
Charles VIII of France invited him to Paris. This support did 
not serve him for long, however, as Henry had stipulated in his 
treaty at Estaples in 1492 that no protection or assistance should 
be rendered this pretender. He now returned to Margaret of 
Burgundy, who acknowledged him as her nephew, honoring him 
on all occasions as the "White Rose of England." Then began 
in England a system of conspiracies against Henry, but the effi- 
ciency of his spies rendered them abortive. Sir William Stanley, 
who aided Henry so essentially in the battle of Bosworth, Sir 
Simon Montfort and Lord Fitzwalter, supporters of Warbeck, 
were executed. These occurrences brought the pretender to 
action, and in 1495 he attacked the coast of Kent. It was a dismal 
failure, and he returned to Flanders only to be driven out because 
such was required by the treaty between the two countries. 

Warbeck now crossed over to Scotland and the Scottish king 
received him as Richard IV. The king's sincerity in supporting 
his claims is seen in the fact that he married him to a kinswoman, 
Lady Catherine Gordon, daughter of the Earl of Huntly and on 
her mother's side, a cousin of James IV, the present monarch. 
But the enthusiasm of James cooled and he requested Warbeck 
to leave the country. After attempting another raid on England 
he was captured and placed in the Tower. From this he attempted 
to escape and was executed in 1499. His wife, who was taken 
prisoner with him, became an attendant to the queen of Henry 
VII, and finally married Sir M. Cradock. 

This story gives the history of this pretender, his claims, the 
support they received, his reception in Scotland and marriage with 
Lady Gordon, his raids, capture and execution. The author was 
fully convinced that he was in truth the Duke of York and set 
forth the evidence in support of his claim, The facts regarding 



230 HISTORICAL FICTION 

the murder of the Princes can be located by referring to the 
Index. 

The story also deals with another pretender, Lambert Simnel. 
He was the son of a baker, and figures in one of the insurrections 
against Henry VII. In this revolt he set himself up as Edward 
Plantagenet, Earl of Warwick, son of the murdered Duke of 
Clarence, the latter the brother of Edward IV. The real earl was 
placed in the Tower when Henry ascended the throne in 1485 to 
prevent him from asserting his Yorkist claims to the throne, since 
his father was dead. He left the Tower but twice, the first time 
to be exhibited in the streets of London to expose Simnel's impos- 
ture, and the second time when he was beheaded for his co-opera- 
tion with Warbeck, then a prisoner in the Tower, to secure posses- 
sion of the Tower and raise an insurrection. 

Simnel had support in Ireland among those who favored the 
house of York. In Flanders, as in the case of Warbeck, he se- 
cured the friendship of Margaret, Duchess of Burgundy, sister 
of Edward IV. Her court was made the meeting place of the 
conspirators, and Henry promptly imprisoned her in an English 
nunnery. The rebels proceeded to attack Newark. Henry's 
forces met them at the village of Stoke and completely defeated 
them. Simnel was spared, and was taken into the royal service as 
a scullion. 

These facts form a part of this story. 

A King of Vagabonds. 1911. Beth Ellis 

This story is based on the same events as the preceding rela- 
tive to Warbeck, in which his wife figures, also those who adhered 
to his claims, and Henry VII. 



CHAPTER XIII 

FRANCE. FROM THE FALL OF CONSTANTI- 
NOPLE TO THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 

Reign of Louis XI 

Louis (1461-1483) was the son of Charles VII. Under the 
rule of the latter France recovered from the disorders of the 
Hundred Years' War and gained greatly in strength. Under 
the reign of his son this constructive work was continued. The 
object of Louis was to effect the consolidation of France, and in 
order to raise the monarchical system to supremacy, to overthrow 
completely the power of the great vassals and to expunge from 
the country every form of feudal independence. 

Louis was an unscrupulous ruler. He adopted cunning meth- 
ods and committed himself to intrigue to gain his ends. Never- 
theless he was very successful in accomplishing his great task 
of the absolute establishment of the throne, and allowed nothing 
to check his policy. He encouraged and developed industries ; 
manufacturing and commercial interests were advanced. In all 
this he was cold-hearted, and exhibited a suspicious and cruel 
nature. 

Louis had been affected by two strokes of apoplexy, and in the 
last two years of his life the fear of death seized him and preyed 
upon his mind. He confined himself in his castle and devoted his 
whole thought to ascetic indulgences. 

The Stories 
Quentin Durward. 1823. Sir Walter Scott 

Burgundy is the name of a large and important province of 
France. The duchy was conferred upon Philip the Bold in 1363, 
and from his accession the territory and power of Burgundy had 
a steady increase. 

Charles the Bold, in 1467, succeeded his father as Duke of 
Burgundy. He was killed in the battle of Nancy in 1477. The 

231 



232 HISTORICAL FICTION 

agents of Louis had stirred up a revolt in Liege, a city of Bur- 
gundy, and it was impossible for Louis to extricate himself from 
the serious position in which this involved him without making 
a humbling submission to the enraged Charles the Bold. 

Charles proposed to himself the important task of consolidat- 
ing the territories over which he ruled. They were scattered and 
segregated. They consisted of the duchy and county of Bur- 
gundy, the county of Flanders, a number of fiefs in the Nether- 
lands. His ambition was to change his title from that of Duke 
to King. The cunning intrigues of Louis made Charles his life- 
long enemy. In pursuing his ambition to restore Burgundy as 
a kingdom Louis succeeded in getting the Swiss Republics to 
take up arms against him. 

In 1476 Charles was vanquished by the Swiss at Granson and 
Morat. In the following year he was overwhelmed at Nancy by 
Rene of Lorraine and his Swiss mercenaries, and Charles was 
slain. He was the last Duke of Burgundy. The duchy was seized 
by Louis XI. The Netherlands and Franche Comte remained 
in possession of Mary, daughter of Charles, who carried the for- 
tunes of the house into a house still more fortunate than her own, 
by her marriage with the Archduke Maximilian, son of the Em- 
peror Frederick. 

Quentin Durward is considered by many one of the best of 
Scott's works. In Britain it did not create great enthusiasm at 
first, but finally became immensely popular. In Paris it aroused 
an unusual interest. "It was Scott's first venture on foreign 
ground, and the French were delighted to find Louis XI and 
Charles the Bold brought to life again by the Wizard of the North. 
The delineations of these two characters are considered as fine as 
any in fiction or history." In speaking of the preparation of the 
new work, following a spell of sickness, Scott says, "My idea is 
a Scotch archer in the French king's guard in the time of Louis XI, 
the most picturesque of all times." 

The story deals with the time and events of which we have 
spoken, the opposition to Charles the Bold fomented by Louis. 
The hero, Quentin Durward, is a nephew of Ludovic Leslie. He 
enlists in the Scottish Guard of Louis XI. In a boar hunt he 
saves the king's life. He is successful in pressing his suit with 
the Countess of Croye and eventually marries her. He is the 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 233 

Monseigneur de la Croye of Anne of Geier stein, by Scott. In that 
story he is in the service of Charles the Bold. 

As noted in the sketch, Louis had, without intending it, re- 
vealed to Charles his intrigues, and placed himself in a most 
humiliating position. This fact plays an important part in the 
plot of this story. The Countess of Croye is a ward of Charles 
the Bold. To escape from a marriage wholly distasteful to her 
she fled to the court of Louis. Quentin Durward meets her for 
the first time, after saving the king's life, and knows her as 
Jacqueline and proceeds immediately to fall in love with her. But 
the price by which her hand is to be won is the slaying of William 
de la Marck, the "Wild Boar'*' of Ardennes. He is a notorious 
robber and murderer, and has been excommunicated by the Pope 
because of his many crimes. It is Quentin Durward who brings 
him to bay. 

Among the historical characters is Jean de la Balue, minister 
of Louis, Cardinal and Bishop of Auxerre (1422-1491). His 
head was turned by sudden elevation and political advancement. 
He yielded, in a moment of weakness, to the suggestions of Creve- 
coeur and induced Louis to visit the Duke of Burgundy in Pe- 
ronne, and that ended so disastrously. 

The Duke's Vengeance. 1910. Michael W. Kaye 

The Duchy of Aquitaine in the south of France included 
Guienne, Perigueux, Limoges, Auvergne, Saintonge, La Marche, 
Poitou and Gascony. Aquitania was the southwestern division 
of Gaul; Guienne, with narrower limits, embraced the region of 
the Garonne and Dordogne. It was first brought into connection 
with England by the marriage of Henry II with Eleanor, heiress 
of the last duke of Aquitaine. It will be remembered that the 
possession of Guienne by the English was one of the causes of 
the Hundred Years' War, at the close of which Aquitaine was 
incorporated into the French Kingdom. 

This story describes the scheming in which Louis XI, Charles 
the Bold and Duke of Guienne are involved. 

Anne of Geierstein. 1829. Sir Walter Scott 

In the historical sketch the facts have been given relative to 
the part of Louis XI in stirring up the Swiss against the purpose 



234 HISTORICAL FICTION 

of Charles the Bold in consolidating his territories into a king- 
dom. The result was the defeat and death of Charles and the 
seizing of the duchy by Louis. 

This story covers these events setting forth the conflict in 
which the Swiss are involved with the quarrel of Louis and 
Charles. It describes the battles of Granson and Morat in which 
Charles was defeated, and in the following year (1477) the battle 
of Nancy, in which the Swiss had such a signal victory and 
Charles was slain. 

Anne of Geierstein is the titular heroine of the story. She 
is the daughter of Count Albert of Geierstein, the president of the 
secret tribunal of Westphalia. She is popularly known as "the 
Maiden of the Mist." Quentin Durward, the hero of Scott's 
novel of that title, is Monseigneur de la Croye of this story. A 
young Englishman is the hero. He wins the love of the daughter 
of a Swiss noble, and is involved in the conspiracy to kill the 
Duke of Burgundy as required by the Secret Tribunal. 

Yolando, Maid of Burgundy. 1906. Charles Major 

When Louis XI came to the throne he was confronted by a 
formidable league, at the head of which were his own brother, 
Charles of Berri, the Duke of Burgundy and the Duke of Brit- 
tany. It was called the "League of the Public Weal." In 1465 
it compelled Louis to grant the treaty of peace. We have already 
noted that Mary, daughter of Charles the Bold, united the for- 
tunes of her house, upon the death of Charles, with those of Maxi- 
milian, son of the Emperor Frederick. Many rulers had coveted 
her splendid possessions, and there were five who sought her hand, 
among whom were the dauphin, son of Louis XI. The Arch- 
duke was the successful suitor and Mary's possessions became 
merged with the possessions of the House of Hapsburg. 

This American lawyer and popular novelist (1856-1913) was 
born at Indianapolis. He practiced law at Shelbyville, Ind. His 
first great success, When Knighthood Was in Flower, brought 
him distinction. Then followed other works, Dorothy Vernon, 
Yolando, etc., which have been widely read. 

This story sets forth the union of these possessions of Mary 
and Maximilian by the union of their lives. It describes the con- 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 235 

flict between Charles the Bold and the Swiss, culminating in the 
battle of Nancy and the slaying of the duke. The treaty referred 
to above holds a place in the story. 

Notre Dame de Paris. 1831. Victor Hugo 

The author (1802- 1885), French dramatist, novelist and 
statesman was born at Besacon. At the age of twenty he was 
writing verses. As a dramatist his aim was to overthrow the 
classic drama in France, and his Cromwell made him the leader 
of the romantic school. He was elected a member of the French 
Academy in 1841, having been twice rejected, and was made a 
peer by Louis Philippe in 1845. He had a distinctive place in the 
Revolution of 1848, in which he became one of the leaders of the 
democratic party. He was exiled in Brussels and finally settled in 
Germany until 1870. His Les Miser able s appeared in ten lan- 
guages on the same day. He returned to France and was elected 
a member of the National Assembly. He wrote one of his best 
novels, Ninety-Three, when he was over seventy years of age. 

This story deals with the conditions in France at the close of 
the reign of Louis XI. It describes the architecture of Paris and 
the life of the time in a marvelous manner. It gives an accurate 
idea of the social and religious conditions of Paris in the Middle 
Ages. Everywhere the tragic note is found. 

The scenes of this story are laid in and about the old cathedral 
of Paris. Esmeralda, the gypsy girl, accompanied by her goat 
and with tambourine dances in the streets of Paris. She is a 
beautiful creature, scarcely clothed, but of pure and innocent 
character. She loves a captain of Louis XI, but no one loves her 
as does the hunchback bell-ringer, Quasimodo, one of Hugo's 
best conceptions. Esmeralda can regard him only with pity. He 
is bow-legged, has but one eye and lives in a far off corner of the 
Cathedral. When she is accused by the mob of being a witch she 
rushes to the belfry, seeking the protection of the hunchback. He 
hides her until Claude Frollo, the archdeacon induces her to come 
with him. She refuses to reciprocate the base passion with which 
he regards her, and enraged at her attitude gives her over to the 
mob, by whom she is hanged. Her death is avenged by Quasi- 
modo, who flings the archdeacon over the battlements of the 
Cathedral. Two years later his skeleton was found in a cave 



236 HISTORICAL FICTION 

holding the skeleton of Esmeralda. After hanging her the mob 
had cast her body into the cave and there he had found it. 

A King's Scapegoat. 1905. Hamilton Drummond 

This story delineates the character of Louis XI, the greedy, 
cunning man, the man who loved intrigue, who indulged in cruelty 
and cared only for the success of his schemes. These character- 
istics are exhibited in his attempt to steal the heir to Foix and 
seize his possessions. When his nefarious scheme fell through, 
the failure would have plunged him into still greater crimes, but 
death intervened. 

Reign of Charles VIII 

Louis XI was succeeded by his son Charles (1483-1498). He 
was but thirteen years of age when his father died, and during 
his minority his sister Anne was appointed regent. It was a wise 
choice for she administered the government with ability. When 
Charles came to rule in person France was in a prosperous condi- 
tion. It was during his reign that French interference with Italy 
began, which was attended with far-reaching effects relative to 
both countries for an extended period. 

The Story 
A Maid of Brittany. 1906. May Wynne 

Brittany is a peninsula projecting into the Atlantic between 
the English Channel on the north, and the Bay of Biscay on the 
south, and thus forms the extreme western portion of France. 
It was formerly an independent kingdom, then a duchy of France. 
It is now a French province. The question of Brittany was left 
unsettled in the Treaty of. Bretigny between France and England 
(1360), but it was decided at the battle of Auray, in which the 
French were defeated in 1364. The decision was in favor of the 
house of Montfort. In the early period of England's second 
struggle with France Brittany supported England. But Arthur 
of Richmond broke with the English and supported Charles VII. 
In 1488 the death of Francis produced a European contest for 
the hand of his daughter Anne which, despite the exertions of 
Henry VII, resulted in her marriage with Charles VIII, and the 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 



237 



ultimate annexation of Brittany to France. Thus the old ally of 
England became a province of her hereditary enemy. 

This story portrays the deeply seated antagonism that ex- 
isted between the French and the people of Brittany. The union 
of Brittany with France occurred in 1491 when the duchess Anne 
married Charles VIII. 



CHAPTER XIV 

ITALY. FROM THE FALL OF CONSTANTI- 
NOPLE TO THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 

During this period Italy enjoyed prosperity and tranquility. 
The wars of this period were designed either to hold Venice in 
check or to advance the ambition of the papacy. The period 
has been rightly called "the age of despots." In almost every 
city a despot or absolute ruler appeared. It became so estab- 
lished that in many instances the office came to be hereditary in 
some families, as, for example, the house of Este at Ferrara, 
the Scalas at Verona, the Visconti, and afterwards the Sforzas, 
at Milan. 

The period of this despotic domination by noble families was 
in every way favorable to the arts and literature which were 
greatly advanced. The same was true of the increase of wealth 
and the greater luxury that prevailed. But the people ceased to 
do their own fighting; they employed others for this the same 
as they would employ service for any purpose. The cities placed 
their interests in the hands of mercenary troops (condottieri), 
and gradually the smaller cities passed under the sway of the 
stronger states. 

By the middle of the fifteenth century Italy, prosperous and 
peaceful, was in the lead of the countries of Europe in all that 
pertained to culture, the leader in the great revival of arts and 
letters. Prominent in this revival was Tuscany which had pro- 
duced Dante and Giotto. But amid all this splendor, in 1495, just 
as Italy emerged from this period, began the terrible era of 
foreign aggression. 

The Stories 

The Romance of Fra Lippo Lippi. 1909. 
A. J. Anderson 

In the early Renaissance the introduction of oil painting 
brought this art to a new development. It greatly increased the 

238 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 239 

power of expression. This appears in the productions of the 
Van Eycks, Menling and others. The Florentine school pro- 
duced Verrochio, the teacher of Leonardo da Vinci, who so 
greatly added to the knowledge of anatomy, and Ghirlandajo, 
the master of Michelangelo. This school was distinctive for its 
vigorous naturalism. While the Umbrian school was charac- 
terized by its deep religious sentiment it lacked the vigor and 
power of the Florentine school. 

Fra Filippo Lippi, who died in 1469, was a painter of the 
Florentine school. He came under the instruction of Masaccio. 
His works were noted for their expression of human sympathy, 
their warmth and transparency of color. He was peculiarly the 
representative of this school. Between 1452 and 1464 he ex- 
ecuted the frescoes in the Cathedral of Prado. They contain 
scenes in the life of John the Baptist and that of St. Stephen. 
The work of Lippi was continued in a worthy and distinctive 
manner by his son who inherited his father's talent. 

In this story the author portrays Lippi as a lover. In 1455 
he bought a house at Prado and was appointed chaplain of the 
nunnery of Santa Margherita. Before this time he had become 
infatuated with Lucrezia Buti, a nun, who was his model for 
St. Margaret in his Madonna della Cintola, an altarpiece painted 
for the nuns. After purchasing his house he brought there 
Lucrezia and there her sister Spinetta and three other nuns 
joined her. This continued for two years when the five return- 
ing and expressing full repentance the nuns were reinstated. 

The Cloister and the Hearth. 1861. Charles Reade 

This English novelist (1814-1884) was born at Ipsden and 
was educated at Magdalen College, Oxford, and held high 
offices in the University. His literary career began as a dram- 
atist. In his Hard Cash he exposed the abuses connected with 
the lunacy laws and lunatic asylums. It created considerable 
criticism to which he replied. He conducted personal investiga- 
tions in many cases of false imprisonment under the guise of 
lunacy. 

This story is a tale of the Middle Ages, and is not a story of 
one country but of many. It is commonly regarded the author's 



240 HISTORICAL FICTION 

greatest work. Sir Walter Besant declared it to be the greatest 
historical novel in any language, while Swinburne expressed the 
conviction that "a story better conceived, better constructed or 
better related, it would be difficult to find anywhere." Another 
writer says of it, "As a picture of the manners and customs of 
the times it is almost unsurpassable; yet pervading the whole 
is the strong, clear atmosphere of romantic drama never allow- 
ing the somewhat ample descriptions to predominate the thrilling 
interest with which the story is charged." 

The hero travels from Holland to Italy passing through Ger- 
many and France. The state of these countries of that time is 
described with a fulness and accuracy that indicates the im- 
mense amount of attention and research devoted to the history 
of the period. The hero, by deceit and cunning is separated from 
his betrothed, a girl of unusual character, and travels exten- 
sively meeting many adventures. When he returns he hears 
that she is dead, which is not the case, and becomes a monk. When 
he finds her he also discovers that he is a father, and the son 
destined to be none other than the great Erasmus. The author 
explains in a few words: "The child, who lived to become the 
great Erasmus, was already winning a famous name at school 
when Margaret (the mother) was stricken with the plague and 
died." 

A Jay of Italy. 1905. Bernard Capes 

During this period literature, by which Italy had been so dis- 
tinguished, had lost the originality of the fourteenth century. 
Between the Piccinini and Sforzas war had become a paying 
business. "Nowhere," says Hallam, "had religion more utterly 
passed out of men's minds. The expiring genius of Italian lib- 
erty was still contested by fruitless conspiracies." Galeazzo 
Sforza, Duke of Milan, was a monster of cruelty and vice. In 
1476 at the porch of the Cathedral of Milan he was stabbed to 
death by Olgiati and two others who seemed to consider that the 
liberty of their degenerate land depended upon the life of one 
individual. 

In this story a boy of generous religious impulses is inspired 
by the conviction that he has been commissioned to preach the 
Gospel to the vile court of Galeazzo Sforza. For a time his ef- 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 241 

forts were attended with some success, but he eventually fell a 
victim to the suspicions of the monster. The assassination of 
the latter is set forth in this story. 

Richard Hawkwood. 1906. H. N. Maugham 

The Medici family from 1434 became supreme in Florence. 
By successful commercial enterprises it rose to wealth and power. 
The family was expelled in 1494 and was restored in 15 12. It 
was again expelled in 1527 and was finally reinstated in 1530. 
Lorenzo de Medici, who was called the Magnificent, was the 
most noted member of the family. He became head of the Flor- 
entine state in 1469. By his munificence he attained great popu- 
larity. He was a patron of learning and the arts, established 
academies and made collections of books. The Popes, Leo X, 
Leo XI and Clement VII were of the Medici family. Catherine 
de Medici was the wife of Henry II of France, and Maria de 
Medici was the wife of Henry IV of France. 

This is a story of this famous Florentine family in the time 
of Lorenzo de Medici. Hawkwood was the great-grandson of 
Sir John Hawkwood the English condottiere in Italy who died in 
1394. Richard Hawkwood served Lorenzo. He is aware of the 
conspiracy of the Pazzi against the life of Lorenzo which arose 
in 1478. This conspiracy and the murder of Giuliano de Medici 
are described. What is said above regarding the distinctive 
character of this period under the intellectual influence of Lorenzo 
is well portrayed. 

In 1469 Lorenzo became practically the head of the Floren- 
tine state. The Pazzi were a powerful clan and were among his 
bitterest enemies. By competing with them in business affairs 
he endeavored to weaken their power and if possible ruin it. 
When the large property of Giovanni Borromeo was about to 
be transferred to them, Lorenzo had a statute executed that 
changed the right of possession. This act created such a fury 
that the Pazzi, and another enemy of Lorenzo, Archbishop Sal- 
viati, with the assistance of the nephews of the pontiff, deter- 
mined to exterminate the Medici family. While Lorenzo and his 
brother Giuliano were worshipping in the Cathedral of Florence 
the conspirators slew Giuliano, and only by desperate resistance 
did Lorenzo escape the same fate by succeeding in getting into the 



242 HISTORICAL FICTION 

sacristy. From the palace windows he hung several of the Pazzi, 
others were cut to pieces and many were banished. 

Sandro Botticelli figures in the story. He was an Italian 
painter of the Florentine school (i 447-1515). He took his name 
from the goldsmith in whose shop he was employed. He exhibited 
artistic talent of such high order that he was placed under the 
famous painter Fra Filippo Lippi, the statement of whom is 
given above. Here he caught the passion and inspiration of his 
master to which he contributed his own artistic spirit and appre- 
ciations. In the faces of his Madonnas is a pathetic and tender 
expression for which he was celebrated. The galleries of Europe 
contain many of his works. He" became a devoted disciple of 
Savonarola which drew his attention from his art, in his later 
years, and bestowed it upon theology. 

The Royal Pawn of Venice. 1911. Mrs. Lawrence 

Turnbull 

The Island of Cyprus was taken by Richard I in 1191, but 
was conferred on the house of Lusignan in 1192 — a noble French 
family of the age of the Crusades. One of the last representa- 
tives of this house married a Venetian lady, Caterina Cornaro 
(1454- 1 510), and Venetian sway was established in 1473. In 
1 571 it was seized by the Turks. In 1878 Great Britain raised 
objections to the treaty of San Stephano between Russia and 
Turkey on the ground that if it were allowed to stand it would 
have amounted to the formal dissolution of the Turkish power 
in Europe. An international congress was called at Berlin under 
the presidency of Bismarck. British diplomacy triumphed, and 
as a reward for her friendship Cyprus was transferred by Turkey 
to Great Britain to be administered by that government. Since 
that time Cyprus has been under English rule, subject to nominal 
Turkish suzerainty. 

The Queen of Cyprus, Caterina Cornaro, is the subject of this 
story which deals with the facts relative to the fortunes of the 
island, and the marriage of this Venetian lady with the king of 
Cyprus. She was born in Venice of a patrician family, and in 
1472 became the wife of James II of Lusignan, king of Cyprus. 
Eight months later he died and she succeeded him as Queen of 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 243 

Cyprus. The Republic of Venice was afraid that a marriage 
might be contracted between her and Alfonso, the hereditary 
Prince of Naples, and in 1489 they compelled her to renounce 
the throne and leave the island. She came to Venice where she 
was received with great distinction. She has been the favorite 
subject of romances and the heroine of some operas. 



CHAPTER XV 

SPAIN. FROM THE FALL OF CONSTANTI- 
NOPLE TO THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 

In 573 Spain became the seat of the Gothic kingdom. This 
kingdom was overwhelmed in 711 by the Arab and Moorish in- 
vaders who obtained the mastery of nearly the whole of Spain. 
After the downfall of Musa the government was in the hands 
of emirs appointed by the Caliph of Damascus. In 756 the 
Moorish power in Spain attained to its greatest prosperity. It 
was during this period that the kingdom of Leon grew in extent 
and power. 

In the latter part of the eighth century Charlemagne con- 
quered the northwestern portion of the peninsula, and in the 
ninth century Navarre was founded and became a powerful 
kingdom. In 1033 Sancho the Great of Navarre established the 
kingdom of Castile. Its central position afforded it greater op- 
portunity for expansion and enabled it to become the most pow- 
erful of the Spanish states. In 1035 Sancho established the in- 
dependent kingdom of Aragon, which was the last Christian king- 
dom formed in Spain. 

From 1085 to 1248 the power of the Moors was broken by 
Alfonso the Valiant, Alfonso the Noble, James the Conqueror 
of Aragon, and St. Ferdinand of Castile and Leon. Ferdinand 
II, the last sovereign of Aragon, by marriage with Isabella, 
Queen of Castile, in 1469, by the conquest of Granada in 1492 
and that of Navarre in 15 12, united the whole of Spain under one 
rule. The last Moorish stronghold in Spain was Granada. This 
consolidation of the kingdom, the discovery of America and the 
possession of large parts of the New World raised Spain to a 
high place among European states. 

The Stories 
Mercedes of Castile. 1841. James Fenimore Cooper 

The author (1789-1851) was born in Burlington, N. Y. He 
studied at Yale but was expelled in his third year. He was the 

244 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 245 

first American novelist who became well known in Europe. He 
knew the forest well, and his service in the United States navy 
made him acquainted with the sea and furnished him materials 
for his novels. He spent seven years in Europe, and his appre- 
ciation of European culture led him, upon his return home, to 
make invidious comparisons that subjected him to bitter cen- 
sure. His were the first novels of forest and prairie life, and his 
vivid descriptions and stirring narratives excited enthusiasm. 
Cooper had boasted to his wife that he could write a better novel 
than those of the romantic type which were appearing in his time. 
It resulted in the production of his first work, Precaution. 

Mercedes of Castile is a story of the court of Ferdinand and 
Isabella during the time of Columbus. A companion of the great 
explorer has a sweetheart who is in the Spanish Court. While 
on his journeys this lover falls in with an Indian Princess. She 
greatly interests and attracts him chiefly because she bears a 
strong resemblance to his lady love. He is instrumental in sav- 
ing her life and brings her to Spain. The common result fol- 
lows: the sweetheart is jealous, but the lover succeeds in es- 
tablishing his loyalty. Under these new conditions the princess 
is converted to Christianity. The lover was true to the lady of 
the court, but had a warm regard for the Indian, and this place 
she held in his affections enabled her to die fully contented. 

The Knightly Years. 1912. W. M. Ardagh 

For more than half a century Portugal had been in advance 
of the other nations in the work of discovery. The special in- 
terest lay in finding a new route to India. The work of Prince 
Henry the navigator resulted in the discovery of the Madeira 
Islands, the Canary Islands and the Azores. Toward the end 
of the fifteenth century the Canary Islands were wrested from 
the Portuguese by Spain. The inhabitants were subdued and 
the islands became populated by Spaniards. They now constitute 
the large portion of the inhabitants. The Canaries form a Span- 
ish province, Santa Cruz being its capital. There is a cluster of 
thirteen islands, all of which are mountainous and volcanic. The 
principal peak is that of Teneriffe, which rises to a height of 
12,000 feet. 



246 HISTORICAL FICTION 

This story deals with the life in these islands at the time they 
were seized by Spain, which was in the reign of Ferdinand and 
Isabella. These were exciting times created by the new discov- 
eries. From the fine climate and fertility of the Canaries arose 
the former name of Fortunate Islands. 

The Magada. 1910. W. M. Ardagh 

Gran Canaria, or Grand Canary, ranks third in size among 
the Canary Islands and is situated about 74 miles from the North- 
west coast of Africa. In 1402-05 a French adventurer, Jean de 
Bethencourt, captured several of the islands. About 78 years 
after this time the islanders were conquered by Spain, and Tene- 
riffe, the largest, fell to the Spaniards in 1496. 

It is with the capture of these islands that this story deals. A 
nun in these islands is called Magada. 

The Black Disc. 1897. Albert Lee 

Ferdinand was the son of John II. He succeeded his father 
on the throne of Aragon and Sicily in 1466 as Ferdinand II. By 
his marriage with Isabella, Queen of Castile and sister of Henry 
IV, he became king of Castile, Isabella sharing with him the royal 
dignity. He died in 1516, twelve years after the death of Isabella. 

As noted in a previous sketch, the Moorish dominion in Spain 
had been almost entirely overthrown by the early part of the thir- 
teenth century by the united forces of Castile, Aragon and Na- 
varre. After the union of Castile and Aragon the united kingdom 
set to work to conquer what still existed of the power of the 
Moors in Spain. The struggle continued for ten years and in 
1492 the Spanish forces entered Granada, the capital of the Moors, 
and brought to an end their dominion in Spain. At that time 
Granada had a population of 400,000. 

This story deals with this last period of Moorish dominion in 
Spain. These ten years of conflict in which the strength of the 
Spanish arms is well displayed, ending in the fall of Granada, is 
vividly portrayed in a strong setting. Boabdil was the last Moor- 
ish king of Granada. In 1482 he expelled his father, Abu 1 
Hasson, and in the following year he himself was overthrown 
by the Spanish army near Lucena. He was taken prisoner but 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 247 

was released when he agreed to pay a stipulated tribute. He 
returned to Granada, where he hoped to secure his throne in a 
struggle against his father and uncle. This civil war greatly re- 
duced the Moorish power, and the matter was finally settled in 
1492 by Ferdinand. The Moors under Boabdil fought coura- 
geously but were entirely overwhelmed. There is a spot still 
known as "The Last Sigh of the Moor," and the story runs that 
when Boabdil at this point took a last look at Granada he burst 
into tears. His mother standing beside him declared, "You may 
well weep like a woman, for what you could not defend like a 
man." 

Fair Margaret. 1907. Henry Rider Haggard 

Torquemada, a Dominican friar, in 1483 was appointed In- 
quisitor-General for Spain by Ferdinand and Isabella. He was 
the organizer of the Spanish Inquisition, having its tribunals at 
Seville, Cordova and Toledo. He became infamous for the bar- 
barity he exercised in this capacity. Even for this age, charac- 
terized by the spirit of intolerance and persecution, his severity 
was so excessive that Pope Alexander VI appointed four col- 
leagues to hold him in check. In 1492 he brought about the expul- 
sion of the Jews from Spain. Within four days from the time 
when the tribunal first sat six Jews were burned at the stake. It 
is stated by Mariana that during the fifteen years of Torquemada's 
inquisitorship two thousand suffered death, besides seventeen 
thousand who underwent forms of punishment less severe than 
that of death. 

This English novelist (1856-) was born at Norfolk and re- 
ceived his education in the Grammar School of Ipswich. He 
was admitted to the bar, but gave up his profession for literary 
pursuits. He traveled widely. His works are not distinguished 
for artistic excellence or value, but the manner in which the stories 
are constructed and incidents are set forth get a grip on the atten- 
tion of the reader. 

While this story deals with England during the reign of Henry 
VII the interest belongs principally to Spain in the time of Ferdi- 
nand and Isabella. It describes the cruelties of the Inquisition in 
the treatment to which the Jews were subjected, as noted above. 



248 HISTORICAL FICTION 

In this story a Jew becomes a Christian, but his daughter under- 
goes a series of awful experiences under the measures of the In- 
quisition. In Spain the Jews were noted for their intellectual 
advancement. They were allowed religious liberty and were 
nearly on terms of equality with the Moors. This was radically 
altered in the fourteenth century, when they were required to 
be baptized and accept Christianity. Those who refused to re- 
nounce Judaism were subjected to severe persecution. In the 
time of Ferdinand and Isabella they were required to accept the 
Christian religion or leave Spain in a state of utter poverty. 
Thousands left, leaving money and all possessions behind them. 

Leila. 1838. Bulwer-Lytton 

The historical setting of this story is the conquest of the Moors 
under Ferdinand and Isabella. Muza, the general of Boabdil, 
the last Moorish king of Granada, is in love with the heroine, a 
beautiful Jewess. Her father, who is a sorcerer, gives her as a 
hostage for the Jews. Thus committed to Ferdinand and Isabella, 
through the influence of the latter and Torquemada she is con- 
verted to Christianity. Her father is so enraged at this advantage 
taken of her circumstances as a hostage for her race, and rather 
than have her committed to these new religious convictions, as she 
is about to take the nun's veil, he slays her. He is then torn to 
pieces by the enraged mob. 

The Alhambra. 1832. Washington Irving 

The Alhambra was the citadel and palace of the Moorish 
kings of Granada. It was surrounded by a wall having a circuit 
of over two miles and containing many towers. The erection of 
this citadel was begun about the middle of the thirteenth century 
and was completed early in the fourteenth century. In 1492 it 
was captured by the Spanish. While it has suffered much both 
through the mutilations of Charles V and Philip V, and also by 
fire, it is still the finest example of Moorish art in Spain, and has 
inspired the admiration of artists and has been copied by archi- 
tects. As described by Washington Irving: "The Alhambra is 
an ancient fortress or castellated palace of the Moorish kings of 
Granada, where they held dominion over this their boasted ter- 
restrial paradise, and made their last stand for empire in Spain. 



THE MEDIEVAL ERA 249 

The palace occupies but a portion of the fortress ; the walls of 
which, studded with towers, stretch irregularly round the whole 
crest of a lofty hill that overlooks the city, and forms a spire of 
the Sierra Nevada or Snowy Mountain." The space which the 
fortress occupied was capable of holding an army of 40,000 men. 

This American author (1783-1859) was born in New York 
City. He was educated for the legal profession, but soon turned 
his attention to literature. The years spent in Great Britain were 
among the most pleasant years of his life. He became well ac- 
quainted with Walter Scott, and his great admiration for the 
famous novelist is often expressed in his writings. In 1829 he 
was appointed secretary to the United States Legation at Madrid. 
Life in Spain peculiarly attracted him. His genius was cosmopol- 
itan rather than national. "There is in his writings a spirit larger 
than art and higher than genius, which wins not so much admira- 
tion as love, such as the author in his own person would win." 

The Alhambra, which brings out the color of Moorish and 
Spanish romance, is fascinating in the manner in which the 
legends and tales of this historic place abounds. The Author's 
description of his personal interest in these ruins and the manner 
in which they affected him is given in a single paragraph : "The 
peculiar charm of this old dreamy palace is its power of calling 
up vague reveries and picturings of the past, and thus clothing 
naked realities with the illusions of the memory and the imagina- 
tion. As I delight to walk in these Vain shadows' I am prone to 
seek those parts of the Alhambra which are most favorable to 
this phantasmagoria of the mind ; and none are more so than the 
Court of Lions and its surrounding halls. Here the hand of time 
has fallen the lightest, and the traces of Moorish elegance and 
splendor exist in almost their original brilliancy. Earthquakes 
have shaken the foundations of this pile, and rent its rudest 
towers, yet see — not one of those slender columns has been dis- 
placed ; not an arch of that light and fragile colonnade has given 
way ; and all the fairy fret-work of these domes, apparently as 
unsubstantial as the crystal fabrics of a morning's frost, yet exist 
after the lapse of centuries, almost as fresh as if from the hand 
of the Moslem artist." 

As we come to the close of this second general division of our 
study, and glancing over the centuries which it represents, we can 



250 HISTORICAL FICTION 

see the manner in which the Middle Ages have attracted and in- 
spired the historical novelist. In these stirring times when nations 
were struggling into life, times of strife and conflict, the writers 
of this great body of fiction have taken a position, have watched 
the movements, the restlessness of these centuries and have inter- 
preted the life of the time and the motives and measures of those 
who were so vitally operative in this great historical procedure. 
And this is the real value of historical fiction. It supplements the 
historian. It adds to the mere facts the touch of real life and re- 
stores the past in the living men and women in all the attitudes 
and activities of their life. We see them in their living and their 
loving, their striving and fighting, their defeats and triumphs, 
and in it all groping in the dark seeking a larger individuality and 
emerging into the light of a higher civilization. It now remains 
for us to see in what respect the Modern Age has advanced beyond 
these conditions, and in what manner and degree it has contrib- 
uted to the solution of our life's great problems. 



PART III 
THE MODERN ERA 

In passing from one era to another in human history it would 
be a mistake to suppose that in reaching a new era we are actually 
separated from the preceding. These divisions — Ancient, Medi- 
eval, Modern — are arbitrary distinctions as specified by historians 
with a lack of agreement as to the limits of these periods. From 
a certain point the race enters a new form of development, and 
it marks the beginning of a new era. What has been sought by 
the preceding has, in a measure been found, and thus it becomes a 
mile-stone in human progress. 

There is no actual separation from the past, however, it is 
simply the past extending and realizing itself in the future. The 
man does not leave the boy only in the sense that he does not 
remain a boy. The boy will not leave the man. What is distin- 
guished in the one stage or epoch comes to maturity in the other. 
The man started in the boy, and the boy ends in the man. In 
like manner are we to regard the epochs of history. The modern 
inherits the ancient and medieval, adds to this inheritance by its 
contributions and thus carries the process forward to maturity. 

During this modern era of our life, beginning with the dis- 
covery of America, discoveries and inventions have revolutionized 
society ; knowledge has been greatly increased ; the masses have 
been elevated and the rights of the individual as the social unit 
have been regarded; institutions have developed with increasing 
intelligence and the whole movement has been toward a larger 
individuality and personal freedom. 

In line with this great advance in discovery, science, invention, 
the writing of fiction is peculiarly a modern characteristic. In 
the seventeenth century the modern novel began with Defoe's 
"Robinson Crusoe," following Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" but 
eliminating the allegorical in the narration of the details. Then 
came the contributions of Swift, Richardson, Fielding, Smollett, 

251 



252 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Sterne and Goldsmith. Late in the eighteenth and early in the 
nineteenth centuries the "novel of manners," as it has been called, 
began with Frances Burney's Evelina, and found its highest ex- 
pression in the works of Jane Austin. In Scott the historical 
novel was raised to high perfection and was carried forward by 
Bulwer-Lytton, Dickens, Kingsley, George Eliot, Collins and 
many other writers. 

Thus as we follow the course of the Modern Era we shall find, 
what we should expect to find, an expansion in the social, indus- 
trial, intellectual, political and religious interests of the race. 
And this development is accomplished by the great body of indi- 
viduals, and not by a few men. That the "history of any people 
may be resolved into the biographies of a few great men," as de- 
clared by Emerson, is not strictly true. The struggle for greater 
liberty, for emancipation from present and past confinements, 
has been led by individuals, but it has been the outgrowth of exist- 
ing conditions in which the people as a whole, and not simply the 
leaders of the people, have essentially participated. 

It would be strange if this Modern Era with its marvelous 
achievements, its great advance in all fields, its stirring events, 
did not greatly inspire the writer of historical fiction, and furnish 
him with his largest opportunity in his delineation and interpreta- 
tion of these times. 



THE BRITISH ISLES 

CHAPTER I 
THE HOUSE OF TUDOR 

This house began with the reign of Henry VII, which fell 
within the last period of our study. The house of Tudor extends 
to the close of the reign of Elizabeth. It is a period of great 
activity in English affairs in its political, religious and intellectual 
development. It is a time of strife, a breaking up of old orders 
and emerging into clearer atmosphere and larger appreciations of 
individual rights and liberties. The period comes to its consum- 
mation in its military successes, the establishment of Protestant- 
ism and in its Golden Age in literature. 

Historical Outline. 

Henry VII, 1485-1509. Inauguration of the Tudor Dynasty. 
Henry VIII, 1509- 1547. Act of Supremacy, Henry the su- 
preme head of the Church. 
Edward VI, 1 547-1 553. The Act of Uniformity. 
Mary, 15 53- 15 58. Execution of Lady Jane Grey. Religious 

persecution. 
Elizabeth, 1 558-1603. 

Establishment of Protestantism. 

The Reformation in Scotland. 

Execution of Mary Queen of Scots. 

The Spanish Armada. 

Shakespeare. The Golden Age in Literature. 

Reign of Henry VIII 

Henry, son and successor of Henry VII, passed through a 
stormy ecclesiastical period precipitated by his domestic relations. 
The Pope refusing to grant him the divorce from Catherine, he 
secured it through the universities, and setting aside the authority 
of the Pope declared himself the supreme head of the Church. 
This, however, was in no sense designed by him as a Reforma- 
tion measure in England. He was married six times. Catherine 

253 



254 HISTORICAL FICTION 

was divorced, Anne Boleyn was beheaded, Jane Seymour, the 
mother of Prince Edward, died in 1537, Anne of Cleves was 
divorced, Catherine Howard was executed, Catherine Parr sur- 
vived him. 

Henry was a man of energy and possessed strong mental qual- 
ities, divinity being his favorite study. He belonged to the century 
that was one of the most remarkable in history, the century that 
witnessed the results of the mental activities, which had for a con- 
siderable period been preparing the way for a great change. 



The Stories 

When Knighthood Was in Flower. 1898. Charles 

Major 

Charles Brandon, the Duke of Suffolk, served as general in 
this reign. Mary, the sister of Henry, had married Louis XII 
of France and soon after his death was married to Brandon. In 
the king's will their issue were preferred to those of his elder 
sister, Margaret of Scotland. 

Thomas Wolsey, Archbishop of York, was a man of great 
ability. Under Henry his progress was rapid and brilliant and 
he soon occupied the position of royal Counsellor. His primary 
object was the reformation and the aggrandisement of the English 
Church. But his fall was as conspicuous as his rise. He lost 
the king's favor because of his indecision regarding the divorcing 
of Catherine, and at the same time aroused the indignation of 
Anne Boleyn. His enemies, largely because of his heavy tax- 
ation, rose against him, his property was forfeited to the crown 
and was finally arrested on the charge of treason, but died on his 
way to London. 

In this story the relations with France are set forth and espe- 
cially the marriage of Mary with Louis XII. Her subsequent 
marriage with the Duke of Suffolk figures in the story. It deals 
with the period in the life of Wolsey when he was rising to em- 
inence and power, when Henry had appointed him to the See of 
Tournay and a little later promoted him to the bishopric of Lin- 
coln. 






THE MODERN ERA 255 

The White Queen. 1899. Russell M. Gamier 

This story deals with the same events as the preceding story. 
The Holy League had been formed against Louis XII of France 
and Henry gladly joined it. Strife between the two countries 
followed, but Henry could not continue the war as his allies 
sought a truce. He made peace with Louis by giving his sister 
Mary in marriage to him, while she was then in love with Bran- 
don. 

This story emphasizes the sacrifice on Mary's part in sub- 
mitting to this union for the sake of the situation in which the 
king and country were placed. 

The Tragedy of the Dacres. 1911. E. E. Crake 

When Maximilian Emperor of Germany, of the house of 
Austria died in 15 19, the question of succession was raised. The 
contest lay between Francis I and Charles V, the latter being 
elected. The support of England was desired by both sides, and 
an interview was arranged by Francis on the plain of Ardres with 
such magnificence that it was known as the "Field of the Cloth 
of Gold." When Henry saw that he was being used as a tool he 
withdrew from the conference. 

This event, with all the magnificence and pomp attending it, 
is taken up by this story. It then carries us forward twenty-one 
years to the incident of the execution of Dacres. He was the 
Lord of Hurstmonceaux, a young nobleman. In company with 
some friends he went on an expedition of deer stealing which re- 
sulted in the killing of one of the foresters. Dacres was con- 
victed of murder, and although his friends did everything in their 
power to have the king intervene and spare his life, he refused 
to do so on grounds of justice. These events of the expedition, 
trial and execution are brought out in the story. 

At the Sign of the Golden Fleece. 1900. Emma Leslie 

John WyclifTe, of a much earlier day, realizing the popular 
ignorance of the Bible, undertook a translation of it which was 
completed about 1382 and was scattered among the people. This 
translation was made from the Latin Version of St. Jerome, 



256 HISTORICAL FICTION 

known as the Vulgate. But this was in manuscript form, and 
what was needed was a Bible in printed form. This was under- 
taken by a Cambridge scholar, William Tyndale (1484-1536). By 
this time the knowledge of the Greek text had made considerable 
progress among learned men, and Tyndale translated the New 
Testament from the Greek text of Erasmus. It was printed at 
Worms in 1525 and secretly introduced into England. The 
bishops made every effort to secure the copies and burn them. 
While at work on the Old Testament he was arrested at Antwerp 
and put to death as a heretic by order of Charles V. Following 
this, Miles Coverdale (1488-1568) brought out his translation, 
not made from the original, but as the result of a comparison of 
the Vulgate and the German translations. It was dedicated to 
Henry VIII, and received his sanction, and the reading of the 
Bible was expressly commended. 

This story deals with this period of Bible translation setting 
forth the contentions of the two parties, those that favored the 
Greek text, and those that contended for the Vulgate, the Latin 
text. Tyndale and Coverdale figure, also Thomas Cromwell who 
aided Coverdale in bringing out his version. 

The Baron's Heir. 1911. Alice W. Fox 

Thomas More (1478-1535) author of Utopia, entered the 
House of Commons in 1504. He was made a member of the 
Privy Council and became closely associated with Henry VIII, 
and assisted him in his book against Luther. He was made 
Speaker of the House of Commons and in 1529 became Lord 
Chancellor. He emphatically opposed Henry VIII in constitu- 
ting himself the supreme head of the Church. He declined to 
take the oath of supremacy, was sent to the Tower, convicted and 
beheaded. 

In 1533 Henry married Anne Boleyn, and in 1536 she was 
convicted of a heinous charge by Henry and beheaded. This oc- 
curred one year after the execution of Thomas More. 

This story, which deals with these characters, relates to an 
earlier period when More was enjoying his advancement, and 
when Anne was a young girl, and about the time when she re- 
turned from the French court where her father had taken her. 
Cardinal Wolsey and Erasmus figure in the story. 



THE MODERN ERA 257 

Westminster Abbey. 1854. Emma Robinson 

The process by which the English Church separated from the 
Roman Church rested upon three grounds : "First, dissatisfac- 
tion with the practical operation of the papal headship ; second, 
a desire to reform the clergy, and render the Church more use- 
ful; third, a conviction that the system of the medieval Church 
had in many ways deviated from the teachings of Christ and the 
apostles." In the time of Henry VIII Wolsey was in favor of 
Church reform. He suppressed thirty monasteries and turned the 
revenues into educational institutions. We have noted the 
manner in which Henry overturned the papal headship in con- 
nection with divorcing Catherine. Translations of the Bible were 
made, and it came more into the hands of the people. By a com- 
bination of things the old order began to give way, and reformed 
doctrines were being discussed and embraced. 

This story takes up these religious changes taking place in 
England, and the causes involved in the new order of things such 
as the king's trouble with the Pope, the breaking up of the mon- 
asteries and the influence of such men as Latimer, Ridley, Cran- 
mer and others. 

The House of the Wizard. 1900. Mary Imlay Taylor 

Catherine, the first wife of Henry VIII, was the daughter of 
Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. In 1492 a treaty was made be- 
tween the sovereigns of the two countries to secure a closer 
friendship by intermarriage. Catherine was sent to England and 
became the wife of Henry's brother Arthur who died, and when 
Henry came to the throne his first act was to marry Catherine. 
He was then eighteen years old, and she was six years his senior. 
Her children, with the exception of Mary, died in infancy. Anne 
Boleyn appeared on the scene and Catherine lost the affections 
of her husband. When the question of divorce arose she ap- 
pealed to Rome and her claim was supported. She lived in re- 
tirement in one of the royal manors, and died at Kimbolton in 
J 536. On her deathbed she wrote Henry a letter assuring him of 
her forgiveness, and committing to him their daughter Mary. 

This is a story of Catherine's last days in Kimbolton. It 
carries us into the other scenes of Henry's life relative to Anne 
Boleyn who was executed the same year that Catherine died. 



258 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The Fifth Queen and How She Came to Court. 1906. 
Ford M. Hueffer 

It was Thomas Cromwell who suggested to Henry that he 
could solve this divorce problem by declaring himself supreme 
head of the Church. He became Chancellor and held in his hands 
the chief authority in things secular and spiritual. Four hun- 
dred monasteries were suppressed and their revenues passed to 
the crown. He told the clergy what they should preach about. 
The execution of More .and Fisher indicated in what way dis- 
obedience would be punished. His hand was felt everywhere, 
and he had almost full control over the king. 

After the death of Jane Seymour Cromwell proposed to 
Henry an alliance with the German Protestant princes by means 
of a marriage with Anne of Cleves. She met Henry at Rochester 
but failed to impress him as favorably as did her portrait which 
he received. The matter had gone too far, and there was noth- 
ing left for him to do but submit to the distasteful marriage. He 
let his hand fall heavily upon Cromwell for getting him thus in- 
volved, and eventually Cromwell was executed for treason. The 
marriage with Anne was finally annulled on three grounds : that 
she had been previously contracted to the Duke of Lorraine ; 
that Henry had not inwardly given his consent ; that the mar- 
riage had never been consummated. Certain concessions made to 
Anne secured her consent to the separation. 

Catherine Howard, Henry's fifth wife, was the daughter of 
Lord Edmund Howard. She was characterized by levity and 
frivolity, but her beauty and vivacity attracted Henry. He mar- 
ried her in 1540. That she was guilty of improper conduct with 
at least one of her former lovers is quite certain. After being 
married a little over a year she was charged with adultery and 
sent to the Tower. Culpeper and Derham, two of her paramours, 
were beheaded, and in 1542 the same fate befell her. 

This story sets forth the effect of Catherine Howard's coming 
with her beauty and liveliness into the life of Henry following 
his utter disappointment in Anne of Cleves. Thomas Cromwell 
figures in the story in setting forth his measures and the spy sys- 
tem he had instituted, and the conflict between the new order and 
the old faith. 



THE MODERN ERA 259 

Privy Seal: His Last Venture. 1907. Ford M. Hueffer 

The same events as set forth in the sketch above are dealt 
with by this story. The sequel to this story, The Fifth Queen 
Crowned, carries the events to the execution of the queen. 

Scotland During the Reign of Henry VIII 

The reign of James IV of Scotland (1488-15 13) fell in the 
reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII. His father, as noted in 
a former sketch, was killed in the battle of Sauchieburn (1488). 
It was James IV who for a time supported the claims of War- 
beck. In 1502 he married the Princess Margaret of England, 
and Scotland joined the English and Spanish alliance. In 1512 
new complications arose over the capture of some Scotch ves- 
sels in the Downs, and at this time the entreaties of the queen of 
France to protect French interests led James to undertake the 
campaign that ended at Flodden Field (1513). In this battle the 
Earl of Surrey by crossing the river Till cut off all communica- 
tions between James and Scotland, while the Scotch failed to at- 
tack the English in passing over the river. Instead of following 
up the advantage secured by defeating the right wing of the 
English arms, which would possibly have won the battle for the 
Scotch, the soldiers started to pillage the English stores. The 
work of the English archers won the day. At a point in the bat- 
tle, in holding back a force far greater than his own, King James 
was slain. The English won the battle by a small enough margin, 
and the Scotch, after the battle, held their position on Flodden 
Field until the next day. James was a brave soldier and good 
administrator. 

The Stories 
The Arrow of the North. 1906. Robert H. Forster 

In this story the author deals with the border conflicts. James 
IV, after the death of his father, had to be on guard against a 
plot of Henry VII to seize him. The battle of Flodden is well 
described, and the facts and scenes are accurately presented. 

In the King's Favor. 1899. Joyce E. Muddock 

This same historical event is vigorously presented by this 
story — the battle of Flodden Field and the bloody conflict of the 
forces when King James fell in the heat of the battle. 



26o HISTORICAL FICTION 

James V was but two years old when his father fell at Flod- 
den, and the affairs of Scotland were placed under the regency 
of the Duke of Albany. In 1528 amid the quarrelings of the great 
nobles, Angus, Argyle and Errol to strengthen their power, James 
took the government in his own hands. The lawless borders and 
Highland clans kept James busy for a few years. He aroused the 
indignation of his uncle, Henry VIII, his mother being the 
Princess Margaret, and Henry declared war and defeated the 
disorganized Scotch army at Solway Moss. A few days after 
James died at Falkland, having received, just before his death, 
the news of the birth of a daughter who became the famous Mary 
Queen of Scots. 

A King's Masquerade. 1910. May Wynne 

A powerful family headed by Sir John Armstrong, had al- 
most independent control of the border country between Eng- 
land and Scotland, and the "debateable land." The Armstrongs 
were regarded by the Scotch government as robbers and finally 
James V decided to crush them. With a strong force he invaded 
their territory. Sir John met him in great state accompanied by 
a train of gentlemen. The king's forces at once took him and his 
brother Thomas and hanged them (1528). 

In this story James runs the risk of going into this lawless 
country of the Armstrongs after the event just narrated which 
nearly cost him his life. At the time of the hanging of the Arm- 
strongs James was about seventeen years of age. 

Henry VIII is the hero of Shakespeare's historical play. In 
this he stands out in his abounding self-reliance, one who has full 
confidence in his mastery whatever be the circumstances, and his 
attitude of triumph over those who have fallen and are cast down. 

The portrait that is most strongly drawn of Henry VIII in 
foreign literature is to be found in Calderon's drama, "The 
English Schism." This relates the quarrel with the Church. 
Henry is relieved of the responsibility of this and it is laid upon 
Cardinal Wolsey. The relations with Anne Boleyn and the char- 
acterization of her constitute a leading element in the drama. The 
character of Wolsey is strongly drawn— his arrogance, ambition, 
deceptiveness set forth in conjunction with the nobler qualities 



THE MODERN ERA 261 

of his nature. The spirit of resignation in which he accepts his 
fall is presented in the soliloquy in which he bids farewell to his 
greatness. 

Reign of Edward VI 

Edward (1547-1553) was the son of Henry VIII and Jane 
Seymour. He was brought under the instruction of divines of 
the reform order, and he zealously espoused the new doctrines. 
He had a studious turn of mind and devoted himself to religious 
interests. To maintain Prostestantism he altered the will of 
Henry VIII, and in his own will he excluded Mary and Elizabeth 
from the succession in favor of Lady Jane Grey, the daughter 
of Henry's niece the Countess of Suffolk, which was subscribed 
to by the Privy Council. His writings clearly indicate that he 
possessed a keen intellect and was a man of unusual erudition. 

The Stories 

The Maid of London Bridge. 1893. Somerville Gibney 

In 1549 an insurrection was raised under the leadership of a 
tanner of Wymondham in Norfolk, Robert Ket. It threatened 
to destroy the upper classes, and demanded social reforms. Ket 
collected a force of 16,000 men and camped near Norwich. He as- 
sumed the title of King of Norfolk and Suffolk. A daily court 
was convened at which all captured landlords were tried. He 
seized Norwich and drove out the Marquis of Northampton. The 
Earl of Warwick, after cutting off Ket's provisions, forced him 
to a battle. Thousands were slain in the fighting but the rebel- 
lion was crushed. Ket and the leaders were hanged. Some 
priests were hanged from their church steeples, with the old 
service books, which they wished to see restored, tied round their 
necks. 

In this story are described this agrarian insurrection, the tan- 
ner and his native place, the mustering of his force and their 
camp, their capture of Norwich and finally their defeat by War- 
wick. The latter, who was later the Duke of Northumberland, 
was he who induced Edward to alter the will of Henry in favor 
of Lady Jane Grey his daughter-in-law. He figures in the story. 



262 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The Royal Sisters. 1901. Frank Mathew 

Mary was the daughter of Henry VIII by his first wife 
Catherine of Aragon, and Elizabeth was his daughter by his sec- 
ond wife, Anne Boleyn, and was therefore the younger of the 
two. Edward's adherence to the reform doctrines has been re- 
ferred to, and the measures he adopted to uphold Protestantism 
in naming Lady Jane Grey as his successor. 

This story relates to the events at the close of Edward's 
reign. It sets forth the plotting and scheming for the throne, 
the Duke of Northumberland and his son Guildford, husband of 
Lady Jane Grey, on the one side, and Mary and Elizabeth as 
the ones vitally interested in the throne, on the other. Arundel 
was one of the Council under the will of Henry to assist in man- 
aging the government during Edward's minority. He consented, 
but unwillingly, to the changing of Henry's will. Afterwards he 
and the rest of the Council declared in favor of Mary, and was 
afterwards a partisan of Mary Queen of Scots. He is one of the 
characters of this story. 

No Cross, No Crown. 1893. Deborah Alcock 

In 1539 Cardinal Beaton succeeded to the Archbishopric of 
St. Andrews, Scotland. He was a bitter persecutor of the Protes- 
tants as the Reformation proceeded in Scotland. His cruelties 
incurred the hatred of the reformers. A plot for his assasina- 
tion, to which Henry VIII was a party, was concocted, and it is 
also possible that George Wishart, one of the Scottish Protestant 
preachers, had a part in this plot. The latter incurred the wrath 
of Beaton who had him burned at the stake (1546). Beaton 
watched the martyrdom of Wishart from his castle window, and 
the story is that Wishart called out to him that from that window 
his dead body would be flung. On May 29 of that year he was 
assassinated and his body cast out of the window. During the 
great plague of 1544 Wishart stood on the stonewall of St. An- 
drews and preached to the people from the text, "He sent his 
word and healed them," Ps. 107 120. 

These facts relating to these times of the Scottish Reforma- 
tion, the preaching of Wishart and the plague are detailed by this 
story. 



THE MODERN ERA 263 

The Monastery. 1820. Sir Walter Scott 

This story relates to this period of the Reformation in Scot- 
land after the battle of Pinkie Cleuch in 1547. The English 
forces were led by the Protector Somerset and Earl of Warwick, 
and the Scotch by the Earl of Huntly. The latter had first the 
advantage, but were scattered and defeated by a great charge of 
the English. 

Boniface, who is Lord Abbott of St. Mary's in the sequel to 
this story, The Abbot, has sought the seclusion of the cloister for 
the sake of quiet, but the turbulent times have deprived him of 
this and as he says was "dragged into matters where both head- 
ing and hangings are like to be the issue." Sir Piercie Shafton, 
who is a relative of the Duke of Northumberland and a grand- 
son of old Overstich the tailor, indulges the euphuistic style of 
speech that prevailed in the court of Elizabeth, but overdid it. 
In this character this form of speech is held up to ridicule. A 
mysterious spirit, the White Angel of Avenel, keeps guard over 
the interests of the Avenel family. Before any member of the 
family died she wails and shrieks. Lady Alice Avenel, the widow 
of the Baron of Avenel. In The Abbot her daughter Mary ap- 
pears as the Lady of Avenel. 

Reign of Mary 

In the sketches above we have already indicated important 
facts regarding Mary, the daughter of Henry VIII by Catherine 
his first wife. Various marriages were planned for her. She was 
a precocious child and received a good education. Every attempt 
was made, during the reign of Edward VI, to compel her to ac- 
cept the new service book which she refused to do. They en- 
deavored to keep Mary and Elizabeth in ignorance of the death 
of Edward until Lady Jane Grey, Edward's choice, should be 
proclaimed queen, and this proclamation was made in various 
parts of the country. She reigned for less than two weeks. At 
the head of a large following Mary was proclaimed queen (1553- 
1558), and her first act was to liberate the Catholic bishops who 
had been imprisoned, and then cast into prison some of the prom- 
inent Reformers, Latimer, Cranmer and Hooper. 

Mary's marriage treaty with Philip of Spain, son of Charles 



264 HISTORICAL FICTION 

V, was the beginning of an unhappy and disastrous reign. The 
statutes against the Pope since the twentieth year of the reign of 
Henry VIII were repealed, and the persecuting statutes of earlier 
days were revived under which Cranmer, Latimer, Ridley and 
many clergymen went to the stake, and thus she won for herself 
the title of "Bloody Mary" in her attempt to restore the Catholic 
religion. She was devotedly attached to her Church, and be- 
lieved her measures were justified as the means to the end to be 
secured. 

The Stories 

A Queen of Nine Days. 1903. Edith G. Kenyon 

Lady Jane Grey (i 537-1554) under the instruction of Robert 
Ascham became an accomplished scholar in Latin, Greek and 
Hebrew. She was as beautiful as she was accomplished. As 
Froude says, "She has left us a portrait of herself drawn by her 
own hand, a portrait of piety, purity and free noble innocence un- 
colored, even to a fault." 

When Mary seized the crown Lady Jane Grey, who had been 
a queen but a few days, was cast with her husband into prison. 
Her husband was Lord Guildford Dudley, the son of the Duke 
of Northumberland. While they were in prison Wyatt's rebel- 
lion was holding the center of the stage. Sir Thomas Wyatt was 
one of the leaders against Mary. It was inspired by the general 
feeling of opposition to Mary's marriage with Philip of Spain, 
and its object was to have her deposed in favor of Elizabeth. He 
organized the rising in Kent with remarkable ability. They 
failed to capture London at the propitious moment and the rebel- 
lion failed. Wyatt was captured. Every attempt was made to 
extort from him a statement that would implicate the Princess 
Elizabeth, but failed. He was then executed. 

Lady Jane Grey protested that she had no interest in securing 
the throne, but to no avail. After the Wyatt rebellion had been 
disposed of she and her husband were executed on Tower Hill, 
a mere girl seventeen years of age. 

Ridley, Bishop of London, fearing that the reform movement 
would suffer at the hands of Mary, joined in the attempt to place 
Lady Jane Grey on the throne. He declared that both Mary and 
Elizabeth were illegitimate and had no right to rule. He was 



THE MODERN ERA 265 

imprisoned in the Tower for eight months, but was afterwards, 
on a charge of heresy, executed with Latimer. 

This is a story of these times and conditions. The beautiful 
character of Jane Grey is finely delineated, and is made the un- 
willing agent of her relatives regarding the throne. It portrays 
her imprisonment, and the Wyatt rebellion is introduced. The 
character of the young queen in going to her death is well ex- 
hibited. Ridley appears in this story, making his appeal for the 
enthronement of Lady Jane. 

The Tower of London. 1840. William Harrison 
Ainsworth 

This English novelist (1805- 1882) was born at Manchester. 
He studied law, but some work in journalism led him into a lit- 
erary career. He stated that the Tower of London "was written 
chiefly with the aim of interesting his fellow-countrymen in the 
historical associations of the Tower." It is a good example of 
the vigorous style of romance peculiar to Ainsworth. He is us- 
ually characterized as a popular, rather than a great, writer. 

This story is concerned with the events of the preceding story 
as related to the imprisonment and execution of Lady Jane Grey. 
The following as given in the story, is the scene in which Lady 
Jane Grey seeks the mercy of the queen : 

"Accompanied by Cuthbert, she presents herself at the Tower, 
and, obtaining an audience with Mary, flung herself at her feet. 

T am come to submit myself to your highness's mercy* she 
said, as soon as she could find utterance. 

'Mercy?' exclaimed Mary scornfully. 'You shall receive jus- 
tice, but no mercy.' 

T do not sue for myself,' rejoined Jane, 'but for my husband. 
I have come to offer myself for him. If your highness has any 
pity for me, extend it to him, and heap his faults on my head.' 

"Queen Mary was deeply moved. Had not Gardiner inter- 
vened, she would undoubtedly have granted the request; but 
Gardiner suggested that the price of the pardon should be the 
public reconciliation of Lady Jane Grey and her husband with 
the Church of Rome. 

T cannot,' said Jane. T will die for him, but I cannot destroy 
my soul alive.' " 



266 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The Wyatt rebellion is also set forth in the story, and what 
bearing it sustained to the execution of Lady Jane Grey and her 
husband. 

The reader is referred to the "Imaginary Conversation be- 
tween Roger Ascham and Lady Jane Grey," by Walter Savage 
Landor. 

In the Days of Queen Mary. 1911. E. E. Crake 

Cardinal Pole was one of the opponents of Henry VIII in 
seeking a divorce from Catherine, and the separation of England 
from the papacy. In the contest that ensued he went to Italy and 
was made a cardinal by Paul III. He sustained large relations 
there and came near to being elected Pope. He was the leading 
representative of English Catholicism, and constantly stirred up 
the Catholic powers against Henry. Mary restored him to Eng- 
land and made him Archbishop of Canterbury. In ecclesiastical 
matters he was her leading adviser, and took an important part in 
conducting the persecution of the reformers. 

Following Mary's marriage with Philip II of Spain the Eng- 
lish and Spaniards won a brilliant victory at St. Quentin (1557) 
over the French which resulted in a loss to the English who had 
left the town without forces and supplies, and it was captured by 
the Duke of Guise in 1558 and lost to the English forever. 

This story has its setting in these facts in the reign of Mary 
combining these religious, ecclesiastical and military events, and 
the relations existing between England and Spain. 

The Queen's Tragedy. 1906. Robert Hugh Benson 

In general opinon the persecutions of Mary have stained her 
character so that it is difficult to think of her in any other light. 
To most people she appears as a monster of cruelty in consider- 
ing the scores that went to their death during the five years of her 
reign. She believed supremely in the Catholic religion, and in 
reviving the persecution statutes of Henry IV, under the work of 
Pole, she believed that these measures were the best means to ac- 
complish the Catholic restoration. 

It is sometimes said that Mary was not aware of the extent 
of the martyrdoms, and gave them comparatively little attention 



THE MODERN ERA 267 

on account of the depression she suffered owing to her bodily 
condition. It must also be remembered, however, that at one 
time Cardinal Pole, her chief adviser, shrank from the severity 
of her acts in regard to the heretics. 

This story undertakes to justify this queen and to place her 
in a more favorable light. It gives a strong portrayal of her court. 
We have already in the sketch referred to the burning of Cran- 
mer, Latimer and Ridley at Oxford in front of Baliol College. 
These scenes are described by the story. 



Lest We Forget. 1901. Joseph Hocking 

This English author (i860- ) was born at St. Stephen's, Corn- 
wall. He was a clergyman of the Wesleyan denomination. He 
was prize-man at Crescent Park College, and completing his 
studies in Owen College, Manchester, he entered the ministry in 
1884. He then traveled extensively in Syria, Palestine, Greece, 
Turkey and Egypt. His first novel was Jabez Esterbrook which 
was followed by a score of others. 

This story covers the reign of Mary. It details the period 
setting forth the religious conflict that occupied such a large place 
in this reign. Stephen Gardiner, a celebrated prelate and states- 
man figured largely in Mary's affairs being one of her chief ad- 
visers. He had formerly been in the service of Henry VIII as 
Secretary of State, but had been in prison during the time of 
Edward's reign. The merciless manner in which he dealt with 
those who sympathized with Wyatt's rebellion cost him the sup- 
port of some of the members of Mary's Council. It is quite 
likely that the measures adopted by the queen in her persecution 
of the Protestants were devised and operated by him. 

Gardiner and Pole figure in this story which also describes 
the satisfaction that passed over the country when this reign 
came to an end and Elizabeth succeeded to the throne. The cor- 
onation of the new queen is set forth at the close. 

Other stories dealing with this same period are : 
The Protestant (1828) by Mrs. Anna E. Bray. 



268 HISTORICAL FICTION 

In Perilous Times (1902) by Bessie Merchant. 
House of Torment (1910) by C. R. Gull. 

Reign of Elizabeth 

Elizabeth (1558-1603) was the daughter of Henry VIII by his 
second wife, Anne Boleyn, who was beheaded when Elizabeth 
was three years of age. When Edward VI came to the throne 
she was placed under the care of Catherine, the Queen Dowager, 
who shortly afterwards married Seymour, who was suspected of 
trying to win the affections of Elizabeth. After the death of 
Catherine her studies were pursued under Roger Ascham. She 
took no part in the plotting to place Lady Jane Grey on the throne. 
We have noted that she was suspected at the time of the Wyatt 
rebellion, and was placed in the Tower for about three months. 

When Elizabeth succeeded to the throne England was de- 
void of money and resources and was at war with France. She 
undertook at once to secure a religious settlement, and followed 
her father in the separation of the English Church from the su- 
premacy of the Pope. Marriages were proposed but she refused 
all offers realizing that she was between both the Protestant and 
Catholic situations. In Mary Queen of Scots lay a greater dan- 
ger as she was next in order of succession to the English crown. 
By promising to recognize her as her successor she tried to get 
Mary to resign her claim, but Mary hoped to win Scotland back 
to Catholicism. 

Elizabeth united in a remarkable degree vigor and prudence, 
but she also had the support of able counsellors to aid her in the 
administration of affairs. She lived in perilous times, and the 
fortunes of England were interwoven with her personal security. 
"She found England discouraged, disunited and poor ; she left it 
with a strong national spirit, prosperous and resolute. England 
in her reign made great advances in every way, and then first 
assumed the chief characteristics which still distinguish it." Her 
reign was one of the most illustrious in English history. It was 
the age of religious Reformation, and England under Elizabeth 
stood for the new religious order. In this age were the begin- 
nings of England's colonial empire. In literature it was the 
Golden Age, and the names of Spenser, Shakespeare and Bacon 
have contributed to its glory and renown that shall never pass 
away. 



THE MODERN ERA ■■ 269 

The Stories 
The Lonely Queen. 1911. Henry C. Bailey 

Elizabeth had reached the age of twenty-five when she suc- 
ceeded to the throne. During this time she passed through the 
period of her education ; she had endured the evils and strife of 
the time, had witnessed the last four marriages of her father and 
had gained a large experience of the world and the difficulties 
which beset her. 

This story carries us through the scenes of Elizabeth's life 
from the time she was a young child to the first few years of her 
reign. It sets forth the influences with which she was surrounded, 
and the conditions under which her life was developed. The 
wives of Henry VIII together with the leading historical char- 
acters of this period brought out in the foregoing, appear in this 
story. 

Basil the Jester. 1896. Joyce E. Muddock 

In 1558 Mary Queen of Scots married the Dauphin of France 
who received from the Scottish commissioners the title of King 
of Scots, as Mary was then Queen of Scotland. This was the 
year of Elizabeth's accession to the throne. The following year 
Mary became queen of France on the death of Henry II, and in 
1560 her husband, Francis II, died, and the following year she 
returned to Scotland. 

She was now brought into conflict with John Knox, the fa- 
mous Scottish Reformer, but her beauty and wit made her popu- 
lar with the people. In 1565 she married Darnley to the disgust 
of the people. His vices rendered her unhappy, and at his in- 
stigation David Rizzio, her favorite, was murdered in her pres- 
ence in Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh. In this year her son 
James was born and Darnley was assassinated. In 1567 she was 
compelled to abdicate in favor of her son during whose minority 
Murray was appointed regent. 

This period and these events of Mary are brought out in this 
story. The period is coincident with that of Elizabeth's reign as 
^set forth in the preceding story. The same period is covered by 
The Queen's Maries (1864) by G. J. Whyte-Melville, beginning 
with her return to Scotland after the death of Francis II. 



270 HISTORICAL FICTION 

At Sea Under Drake. 1899. C. H. Eden 

Elizabeth's accession to the throne was the beginning of Eng- 
land's sea power. Francis Drake in 1570 started on a voyage to 
the West Indies. In 1572, for losses he had endured at the hands 
of the Spaniards, he made an attack on Nombre de Dias without 
result. In 1577 Elizabeth permitted him to make another expedi- 
tion in which he plundered the Spanish towns Chili and Peru, 
seized a great amount of booty, and in his return trip to England 
had circumnavigated the globe. He was knighted by the queen. 

This story deals with the first of these expeditions, and sets 
forth the early days of England's great seamen and their deeds. 

When Hawkins Sailed the Sea. 1907. Tinsly Pratt 

Sir John Hawkins was one of the most enterprising seamen of 
the time of Elizabeth. He was the founder of the English slave 
trade. In 1562 he carried several hundreds of negroes from 
Africa to America. In his expedition in 1567 he fell in with a 
much stronger Spanish force and lost much in the way of men 
and property. He then became the leader in harassing Spain, 
and haunted the Spanish Main. 

It is this expedition when Hawkins, with a great cargo of 
negroes fell into the hands of the Spanish seamen and suffered 
the loss just noted, that is detailed by this story. It sets forth 
how he not only had to fight the Spaniards, but also the storms. 

Both well. 1851. James Grant 

When Mary Queen of Scots fled to Dunbar Castle following 
the assassination of Rizzio, the Earl of Bothwell supplied the 
force for her protection, and from this time he became closely 
associated with her. He afterwards returned with her to Edin- 
burgh. In 1567 he planned and effected the murder of Darnley, 
Mary's husband, and in the same year having secured a divorce 
from his wife, Lady Jane Gordon, he married the queen. A con- 
federacy of the leading barons, however, compelled him to flee 
to Dunbar and then to the Orkneys. Driven to sea he was ar- 
rested by a Spanish war-ship off the coast of Norway on a sus- 
picion of piracy and was taken to Denmark. He was imprisoned 



THE MODERN ERA 271 

at Malmoe for six years, then at Dragsholm for five years, where 
he died. He was an unscrupulous border chief, and the strange 
thing is that for him Mary could have the slightest affection. 

In this story the author has traced the career of Both well. 
Following his message to the Danish king he is brought into the 
life of Mary, and then compassed the murder of Darnley in Edin- 
burgh, having the house in which he was blown up with gun- 
powder. Mary was suspected of being implicated in this plot. 
The story follows on to BothwelFs love-making and marriage 
with the queen, his being driven from the country and his cap- 
tivity. 

The author, on his mother's side was related to Sir Walter 
Scott. He wrote "The Romance of War" when twenty-three 
years of age and wrote more than fifty novels. When he died in 
1887 he was penniless. The opinion of one writer is that "for 
fertility of incident, rapid change of scene, and skilful intermin- 
gling of historical with imaginary people and events, Bothwell 
is not surpassed by any of the romances that came from its 
author's fertile pen." 

The Abbot. 1820. Sir Walter Scott 

Following the defeat and escape of Bothwell Mary was taken 
by the insurgent nobles to Lochleven Castle. She was forced to 
sign a document abdicating in favor of her son. For nearly a 
year she remained in captivity and succeeded in escaping. She 
then made an effort to recover her power she had signed away. 
She was defeated by the forces of Murray, the regent for her son, 
and fled to England to appeal to Elizabeth for protection. Instead 
of receiving protection she was made a prisoner. 

This story is the sequel to The Monastery. Edward Glenden- 
ning of the former story reappears as the Abbot, the last abbot 
of St. Mary's. Under the ruling conditions of the time he was 
"turned out of house and homestead," but he now devotes his 
energies to the securing of Queen Mary's release. Roland 
Graeme, a foundling, served as a page in the house of Sir Halbert 
Glendenning, Knight of Avenel. He enters the service of Mary 
Queen of Scots and is imprisoned in Lochleven Castle. He plays 
a gallant part in conjunction with the loyalists in securing her 



272 HISTORICAL FICTION 

escape. He had fallen in love with Catherine Seyton, the heroine 
of the novel, who is a maid of honor to Mary, and it was she who 
had fired him with enthusiasm for the cause of the queen. She is 
the daughter of Lord Seyton, and the difference in their social 
position was rather inconvenient. But he marries her and then 
discovers that he is the heir to the barony of Arundel, and the 
social difference is eliminated. 

Kenilworth. 1821. Sir Walter Scott 

Kenilworth is four miles from Warwick. It was here that 
the famous "Dictum de Kenilworth" was drawn up in 1266, and 
it was here that Edward II was imprisoned at the time he was 
deposed in 1327. It was given by Elizabeth to the Earl of Leices- 
ter, and it was here that he gave the famous entertainment in 

1575. ; 

Leicester was the son of John Dudley, Duke of Northumber- 
land. In 1549 he married Amy Robsart, and it is said had an 
active part in bringing about her death at Cumnor in 1560. The 
time was auspicious in favoring his aspirations but the charge 
has never been absolutely established. "The probable truth is, as 
Froude points out, that she w r as murdered by some one who 
wished to see Dudley married to Elizabeth. " He was a handsome 
man and soon won the attention of the queen. She became very 
fond of him and in 1564 created him Earl of Leicester. She would 
not marry him herself, as she refused all offers of marriage, but 
she commanded him to seek the hand of Mary Queen of Scots. 
But his affections were for the queen of England. In 1578 he in- 
curred her displeasure by secretly marrying the Countess of 
Essex. When he was given command of the troops in the Low 
Countries he exhibited his utter incompetency to fill a responsible 
position. Froude's description of him is undoubtedly correct: 
"He combined in himself the worst qualities of both sexes. With- 
out courage, without talent, without virtue, he was the handsome, 
soft, polished, and attractive minion of the Court." 

One of the things that inspired Scott to write Kenilworth was 
the ballad of "Cumnor Hall," in which the story of Amy Robsart 
appears. Elizabeth appears in many romances and dramas, but 
in none is her character more finely delineated than in this story. 
Tt is most likely that Scott's success in the portrayal of Mary 



THE MODERN ERA 273 

Queen of Scots in "The Abbot" led him to do the same for her 
great rival. According to Scott her character was "strangely com- 
pounded of the strongest masculine sense with those foibles which 
are chiefly supposed proper to the female sex. Her subjects had 
the full benefit of her virtues, which far predominated over her 
weaknesses." To the Earl of Leicester she showed, says Scott, 
"all those light and changeable gales of caprice and humor, which 
thwart or favor the progress of a lover in the favor of his mis- 
tress, and she, too, a mistress who was ever and anon becoming 
fearful lest she should forget the dignity or compromise the 
authority of the Queen, while she indulged the affections of a 
woman." 

Leicester is the hero of this romance. Sir Walter Raleigh 
appears in the story. The palace of Kenilworth inspires a profuse 
description, and the famous entertainment given the queen by 
Leicester in 1575, when she visited Kenilworth, is given an im- 
portant place in the story. 

Unknown to History. 1882. Charlotte M. Yonge 

When Mary Queen of Scots escaped from Lochlevin Castle 
she made a new attempt to recover her power with a force of 
6,000 men. She was defeated at Langside (1568) and then fled 
to Elizabeth for protection. From that time on she became the 
prisoner of the English queen and remained so for about nineteen 
years. Her place of imprisonment was frequently changed, the 
last being Fotheringay Castle, Northamptonshire. 

In 1583 Sir Francis Walsingham detected Babington's con- 
spiracy which implicated Mary. There is no doubt about his be- 
ing her enemy. One view taken is, that he would go to any length 
to bring about her execution ; another is, that he was too honorable 
a man to forge any of the letters so as to produce them as evidence 
against her. 

While Babington was a page at Sheffield he had been fasci- 
nated by the charms of Mary. Ballard, a Jesuit, easily persuaded 
Babington to participate in a plot by which Elizabeth was to be 
assassinated and Mary placed on the throne. Six of the conspira- 
tors were chosen to commit the deed. But Walsingham, by his 
clever spy system, had some of his agents admitted to the secret, 
unknown to the conspirators. In a letter to Mary Babington had 



274 HISTORICAL FICTION 

revealed to her the whole plot, which letter passed through the 
hands of Walsingham. She replied to the letter encouraging the 
conspirators and urged them to act quickly. This letter sealed 
her fate. Fourteen of the conspirators were seized and executed. 
This was in 1586. As already noted, there is a difference of 
opinion as to whether Walsingham had any part in concocting the 
plot through his agents so as to procure — manufacture — evidence 
against the queen. Froude takes the ground that the charge is 
utterly false. 

Mary was tried and convicted of having a part in the plot to 
assassinate Elizabeth and was sentenced to be executed. There 
was a long delay before Elizabeth signed the warrant, but at last 
did so, February, 1587. Mary received the news with dignity and 
calm which did not desert her on the scaffold. She was beheaded 
at Fotheringay February 8, 1587. Elizabeth declared that she 
issued no order that the warrant should be carried into effect, 
and thus tried to free herself of personal responsibility. 

This story details these various events. It presents to us 
Mary's captivity in England for the long period in which she was 
held in honorable confinement. It sets forth the Babington con- 
spiracy, Mary's trial and execution. 

Other stories: 

One Queen Triumphant (1889), by Frank Mathew, giving the 
last period of Mary's captivity, the plot, the trial, and execution. 

Come Rack! Come Rope! (1912), by R. H. Benson, present- 
ing Mary in a most favorable light, a pious woman and wholly 
innocent of any complicity in the plot, and full of stirring events. 

Westward Ho! 1855. Charles Kingsley 

While the great Armada, which was created by Philip II of 
Spain to attack England delayed, Drake made a daring raid into 
Cadiz harbor, where he "singed the king of Spain's beard" by 
destroying the ships and stores gathered there. This Armada was 
fitted out by Philip partly to avenge the death of Mary Queen of 
Scots. On the last night of her life Mary wrote to Philip urging 
him to invade England and avenge her death. Catholic Europe 
was embittered by Mary's execution and France acted with Spain. 
It seemed also to Philip that England was not prepared to meet 
the formidable attack he proposed to deliver. 



THE MODERN ERA 275 

In 1588 the great Armada started for England. It contained 
about 150 ships and carried 19,295 soldiers and 2,680 pieces of 
artillery. But the ships were poorly constructed for the Channel. 
The English fleet under Lord Howard consisted of 30 ships of 
the Royal Navy and a large number of volunteer ships, and was 
ably assisted by Drake, Hawkins, Frobisher, Raleigh and other 
seamen. The Spanish vessels were built too high and were top- 
heavy. The English vessels were smaller and more easily handled. 
They followed the principle always followed by the British navy 
of trusting to rapid and accurate artillery fire instead of boarding 
the enemy. The flagship of the Armada fell into the hands of 
Drake, and the English demonstrated their superior seamanship. 
Fire ships sent among the Spaniards created a panic, and they 
were wholly unprepared for the daring of the English seamen. 
The work of destruction was carried forward by the storm when 
the Armada retreated. Only 67 vessels returned home ; the defeat 
was complete and discouraged any further attempt to restore 
Catholicism on the part of Spain by force of arms. 

In this historical romance by Kingsley the hero is Sir Amyas 
Leigh, and his voyages and adventures are set forth in the story. 
This character is rather exaggerated from the physical point of 
view, but he is endowed by the author with strong poetic feelings, 
a high appreciation of beauty and an abundance of good nature. 
The one thing that disturbs his geniality is the thought of Span- 
iards, for he feels that if he has any distinctive. mission it is to 
wipe that race off the earth. The story is charged with the spirit 
of daring adventure that characterized such men as Drake and 
Hawkins in their attacks upon Spanish possessions. It reaches its 
consummation in detailing the destruction of Philip's Armada. 

The daring work of burning the Spanish provision ships in the 
harbor of Cadiz by Drake before the Armada set out, which is 
referred to in the sketch, is set forth in the story, A Fair Prisoner 
(19 1 2), by Morice Gerard. 

Other stories : 

Clare Avery (1876), by Emily S. Holt. 

Under the Foemaris Flag (1896), by Robert Leighton. 

The Sea Devils (1912), by J. E. Burton. 



276 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The Queen's Hostage. 1906. Harriet T. Comstock 

This age of Elizabeth was an expression of energy unusual 
in human history. And in none of its great achievements was 
this more true than in literature. This golden age of English 
letters was created by such men as Spenser in the field of poetry, 
Bacon in the field of science and Shakespeare, Marlowe and Jon- 
son in the field of the drama. "Such activity no doubt was the 
result of many causes, long in preparation ; but one of these was 
certainly the freedom of thought and intellectual stimulus which 
came with the religious Reformation. ,, 

Shakespeare, the analyist of human nature, was one of the 
greatest products of this age and its greatest creator and expres- 
sion in the realm of literature. His genius is coincident with his 
incomparable productions which distinguish the depth, breadth, 
versatility and amazing creations of his mind. "He had a mind 
so comphesensive, complete and original that, while appropriating 
materials which he found, he transformed them by the enrgy of 
his genius into new and wonderful creations." 

This story introduces us to scenes in London ; it acquaints 
us with its life, takes us to the Court of Elizabeth and entertains 
us in the theater. It introduces us to its famous characters and 
by its delineations gives us that nearer view of the Queen, Shake- 
speare and Jonson. It takes one of the works of the great bard 
of Stratford — Love's Labour's Lost — and places it upon the stage 
in the manner in which it gives a description of the play. This 
drama belongs to the first period of Shakespeare's productions. 

Other stories : 

A Gentleman Player, by Robert N. Stephens. 
The Failure of a Hero, by Mary Bramston. 
A Maid of the Malvems, by T. H. Porter. 

These stories deal with these great days in literature and 
the men who produced it. 

Gowrie. 1851. George P. R. James 

In the closing years of Elizabeth's reign occurred what is 
called the "Gowrie Conspiracy" (1600), shrouded in more or less 
mystery, and that related to James VI of Scotland, son of Mary 



THE MODERN ERA 277 

Queen of Scots. The king was hunting in Fifeshire and fell 
in with Alexander Ruthven, the Master of Gowrie, who told 
James that he had a Jesuit at his house, which was near Perth, and 
who had in his possession a large sum of money. He invited 
James to come to the house and share in the robbery of the Jesuit. 
When they reached the house, instead of a captive, James was 
confronted by an armed servant of the earl, Henderson by name, 
and was informed that he was a prisoner. The purpose was to 
kidnap the king and take him by sea to Fastcastle. Ruthven 
reminded James of the execution of Lord Gowrie, his father, in 

1584. 

Before Ruthven could act James raised an alarm which 
brought his attendants, and his page, Sir John Ramsay, forcing 
his way into the room stabbed Ruthven. In explanation of this 
affair the king's enemies declared that James was the instigator 
of the plot for the purpose of doing away with the Ruthvens. 
Evidence, however, established the fact that there was a con- 
spiracy between Ruthven and his brother to carry off or kill the 
king. It is also said that Elizabeth was aware of the plot. 

In this story the responsibility for the plot is laid upon the 
king as was charged up to him by his enemies at the time, the 
object of which was to get rid of Ruthven. 

In Swinburne's Cliastelard, the hero falls in love with Mary 
Queen of Scots. His place in Swinburne's play, however, is sub- 
ordinate to that of the queen, "whose character he has conceived 
with inexhaustible subtlety and depth, and represented with a 
rarely equalled perfection of light and color and fire." 

The reader's attention is also called to : 

Schiller's Maria Stuart, one of his most famous works. 

Macaulay's The Armada. 

Samuel Johnson's preface to his editon of Shakespeare is 
one of the best criticisms of the work of the great master. 



CHAPTER II 

FROM THE AGE OF ELIZABETH TO THE 
COMMONWEALTH 

Before her death Elizabeth had named as her successor James 
VI of Scotland, son of Mary Queen of Scots. With his accession 
began a new development in government, or, more correctly, there 
was to be realized more fully what all along had been the distinc- 
tive fact in English history. 

The difference between France and England during this period 
was this, that while in the former absolutism was being more 
and more established, in England the supremacy of Parliament 
was steadily developing. Even Elizabeth had come to realize the 
growing power of the people, but by her tactful manipulations 
she managed to hold control. But things had changed, and what 
had been the "murmuring Parliament of Queen Elizabeth devel- 
oped into the mutinous Parliament of James I and the rebellious 
Parliament of Charles I, and the end was the 'glorious revolution' 
of 1688, which brought William III to the throne." 

James was dominated by the idea of the "divine right of 
kings," and although the expression had not yet come into use, 
the doctrine was maintained by many. James did not admit that 
he was responsible to Parliament or the people, but to God alone. 
And, as noted, when he and his descendents attempted to enforce 
that idea, and to disregard the demands of the people, there fol- 
lowed a political eruption that forever abolished the idea of the 
absolute authority of the monarch, and democracy became the 
ruling principle of the kingdom. 

Reign of James I 

James (1603-1625) was one of the most learned rulers in 
Europe. He was a Protestant, but disliked the extreme views of 
the Puritans, who were becoming more and more insistent in their 
demands. He maintained a liberal attitude to the Catholics, but 
his preferences and sympathies were for the Established Church 
as he found it in coming to the throne. 

278 



THE MODERN ERA 279 

While James held exalted views of his personal responsibility, 
he had little or no respect for the opinions of others, and his 
egotism and vanity kept him from recognizing in others real 
ability. The result was that his ministers were unwisely chosen. 
It was because of this disposition that so characterized him that 
led the Duke of Sully to speak of him as "the wisest fool in 
Christendom." 

When James declared that Parliament should not meddle with 
the deep matters of state, and that privileges rested only on the 
will of the king, Parliament promptly replied that "the liberties, 
franchises, privileges and jurisdictions of Parliament are the 
ancient and undoubted birthright and inheritance of the subjects 
of England," and that all matters pertaining to the king and the 
state were matters in which Parliament had the right of freedom 
of speech. 

The Stories 

Arabella Stuart. 1844. George P. R. James 

Arabella Stuart was the cousin of James I, the niece of Lord 
Darnley, and great-granddaughter of Margaret, daughter of 
Henry VII. Elizabeth had declared that she would name her 
as her successor if she should become displeased with the conduct 
of James. When James came to the throne, while there was no 
actual opposition, yet the feeling was entertained by some that 
Arabella, being a native of England, had a greater right to the 
throne. 

The main plot probably had as one of its objects the deposition 
of James and placing Arabella on the throne while she knew 
nothing of such designs. In 1610 she married Sir William Sey- 
mour, who was a member of the Suffolk branch of the royal 
family. The king opposed this marriage. Seymour was sent to 
the Tower, and while Arabella was being taken to Durham she 
escaped and took ship for France. Seymour had escaped from 
the Tower and got to Ostend. Before his wife could reach Calais 
she was captured and placed in the Tower. She became insane 
and died four years after being confined in the Tower. 

These events, the courtship and marriage of these two people, 
and the plot to place her on the throne, constitute the historical 
setting of this story. This author in Gowrie charged that other 



280 HISTORICAL FICTION 

plot up to James, and in this story does not picture him in a favor- 
able light. The Bye plot was a movement of a number of Catho- 
lics, among whom were Griffin, Markham and Copley, who op- 
posed the king's policy, and determined to seize him and compel 
him to dismiss his ministers and grant more leniency to Catholics 
and Puritans. The plot was poorly managed and failed. Some 
of the leaders were executed and some banished. This affair is 
set forth in the story, also the circumstances attending the murder 
of Overburg, of whose influence the king became jealous, and who 
opposed Rochester's proposed marriage with Lady Essex. He 
was placed in the Tower for refusing the king's diplomatic post, 
and Lady Essex managed to get him poisoned. 

The Fortunes of Nigel. 1822. Sir Walter Scott 

Sir George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, secured the favor 
of James I by amusing the king in his leisure hours. When Carr 
lost the king's favor Villiers took his place and was created Earl 
and then Marquis. He became one of the richest noblemen in 
England. He became arrogant and self-centered. He got mixed 
up with the affairs of the Palatinate, the crown of which had 
been placed upon the son-in-law of James, undertook a commis- 
sion to Spain, was defeated in his plan, returned home and advised 
a declaration of war against Spain. It was during this trouble 
that James died. Villiers was stabbed by a discontented officer 
while preparing an expedition for the relief of Rochelle during 
the trouble with France. 

This story deals with the early days of the reign of James, 
and gives a description of the Court. It is a fine portrayal of the 
king. The Duke of Buckingham is introduced as also Charles, 
the successor of James. Lord Malcolm of Dalgarno is a profligate 
young nobleman, who under the guise of friendship, gets Nigel, a 
young nobleman, mixed up with disgraceful resorts, taking advan- 
tage of his lack of experience. He brought disgrace upon Lady 
Hermione, who exposed him, and married her only to add to the 
wrongs he had already inflicted upon her. 

Guy Fawkes. 1841. William H. Ainsworth 

At the beginning of the reign of James arose the Catholic 
conspiracy known as the Gunpowder Plot. When they discovered 



THE MODERN ERA 281 

that James had no intention of exercising toleration towards 
them in remitting the laws against recusancy, or not conforming, 
a plot was formed and matured by Robert Catesby, Winter and 
Wright in 1604. Others joined the conspiracy among whom was 
Guy Fawkes, who had served for a long period as a soldier in 
Flanders and was in close connection with the English Jesuits. 
The plan devised was that Fawkes should have barrels of gun- 
powder placed in cellars adjoining the Parliament buildings, and 
these should be exploded when the king and the Prince of Wales 
were present. An insurrection should then be raised. One of 
the Catholic members of Parliament received a letter warning 
him not to be present on the day set apart (November 5). An 
investigation was at once instituted and the buildings searched. 
Fawkes had been left in charge of the powder and was captured. 
He and the leaders were executed, and the result was that the 
laws against Catholics were made all the more severe. From 
that time November 5 has always been commemorated in England 
as "Guy Fawkes Day." 

This story is based upon these events. It sets forth the re- 
ligious conditions that gave rise to this plot, and what the Catho- 
lics had to endure by the existing legislation. The working out 
and ultimate failure of the plot, and the end of those involved, are 
clearly described. 

The Splendid Knight. 1905. Henry A. Hinkson 

Sir Walter Raleigh (1 552-1618) was the half-brother of Sir 
Humphrey Gilbert, whom he accompanied on a voyage of dis- 
covery to Newfoundland. He organized three expeditions to 
America. He took an active part in the defeat of the Spanish 
Armada. When James came to the throne he lost the prestige 
he had at the court, and was charged with having a part in the 
plot to place Arabella Stuart on the throne. He was found guilty 
and sentenced to be executed. The sentence, however, was not 
carried out, and for twelve years he was a prisoner in the Tower, 
during which time he wrote his History of the World. James 
was financially embarrassed, and to raise money needed he re- 
leased Raleigh to conduct an expedition to Guiana in search of a 
gold mine that had been heard of on an earlier voyage. The 
mine was not found, but they attacked a Spanish village and some 



282 HISTORICAL FICTION 

of its people were killed. This was at a time when James could 
not afford to offend Spain. Irritated by their lack of success 
relative to the gold mine, and to please Spain for Raleigh's attack 
on the Spaniards, James sent him to the block (1618). 

These facts form the historical background of this story, which 
describes the expedition and the fruitless search for the treasure. 

The Star Chamber. 1854. William H. Ainsworth 

James utilized the old privilege of the crown relative to grant- 
ing monopolies in trading. For example, in the manufacture of 
glass he would deprive those who were already engaged in the 
business of the right to do so, and give it to a company of his 
own selection, and prohibit the importation of glass manufac- 
tured outside of the country. Other monopolies consisted of the 
licensing of inns, and the making of gold and silver thread. 

This whole system was condemned by the House of Commons, 
which did not spare its criticism of those engaged in the business 
who were servants of the king. The special object of their attack 
was Sir Giles Mompesson. On condition of paying a certain por- 
tion of extorted money into the royal treasury he had been allowed 
to demand whatever license he pleased of the proprietors of inns. 
Thousands of innkeepers who had been guilty of no offense what- 
ever, he had heavily fined, and those resorts that it was decided 
should be closed up because of their wanton character, he issued 
licenses to. Mompesson was a member of Parliament, and that 
body condemned him for his practices in a most drastic manner. 
He was required to walk along the Strand with his head to his 
horse's tail, was heavily fined and imprisoned for life. 

This historical case, the trial and sentence of Mompesson, is 
set forth in this story and as illustrating the abuses of the time 
relative to this system of monopolies. James and his son Charles 
and other historical personages are introduced. 

Reign of Charles I 

When Charles I (1625-1649) came to the throne he was im- 
bued with the ideas of his father, James I, regarding the absolute 
authority of the king. He was like his father, too, in that he had 
no respect for the opinions of others, or for those who disagreed 



THE MODERN ERA 283 

with him. But in matters of learning and intelligence he was 
inferior to his father. He was even more self-willed and arbi- 
trary, and was not dependable in matters of being bound by prom- 
ises given. 

In the third year of his reign was enacted the Petition of 
Rights (1628), a new, great instrument of the Constitution, and 
in importance second only to the Magna Charta, since it settled in 
favor of the nation most of the constitutional questions then in 
dispute. The question of the limitation of the king's rights and 
powers that held throughout the reign of James became the crucial 
question in the reign of Charles, that was to be settled one way 
or the other. 

It was the period of conflict between the king and the Parlia- 
ment. When Charles dissolved Parliament in 1629 it was the 
last that was called for eleven years. "The problem had arisen 
as to whether the king or Parliament was, in the last resort, the 
supreme law of the country, and the king was determined to solve 
it in his own way." And consequently Charles made the attempt 
to rule without a Parliament, and thus it became the period of 
the personal government of Charles I. 

This conflict between the king and Parliament, and the solu- 
tion of this problem as to who was the supreme ruler of the coun- 
try, and the manner in which the problem was solved, will be 
brought out in the treatment of the stories. 

The Stories 
The Dogs of War. 1900. Edgar Pickering 

For eleven years Charles attempted to rule the country without 
a Parliament. He tried to impose upon Presbyterian Scotland 
a church service similar to the English, and Scotland was ready 
for war. In 1641 he called a Parliament which lasted for just 
three weeks. It refused to support him in a war against the 
Scotch. Then came the famous Long Parliament. The dispute 
between the king and the Parliament was becoming more and 
more bitter, and unless one or the other yielded a civil war would 
soon be precipitated, and this alternative soon followed. The king 
went to Nottingham to prepare for war, and those who favored 
his side followed him there. These were called "Cavaliers," while 
the Parliamentary army were known as "Roundheads," because 



284 HISTORICAL FICTION 

their hair was cut short, and not allowed to fall in long curls on 
the neck. 

The first battle was fought at Edgehill (1642). It was some- 
thing of a drawn battle. They fought for half a day and faced 
each other for the night and the next morning, then both armies 
marched away. The fighting for a time was in favor of the king. 
Then a Scotch army was secured by Parliament. 

At this point there came upon the stage of action the man 
who was to become such a mighty factor in shaping the policies 
of England for a period — Oliver Cromwell. At Marston Moor 
the king met the Scotch and English forces. Cromwell was at 
the head of a cavalry troop known as the "Ironsides." He was 
a deeply religious man of the Puritan party. It was largely due 
to him and his well trained men that the parliamentary forces 
won a complete victory at Marston Moor. At Naseby (1645) 
Cromwell again defeated and scattered the king's army, and at 
the same time secured the king's cabinet containing copies of his 
letters showing that while negotiating with Parliament he was 
planning to bring a foreign army into England. Charles was 
now defeated in every contest, and in 1646 he surrendered himself 
to the Scotch army, by which he was handed over to representa- 
tives of the Parliament. 

In this story the hero is in the service of Cromwell. It sets 
forth the work of Cromwell before he was placed in more dis- 
tinctive positions in the war. The story follows the course of the 
war from the battle of Edgehill to that of Marston Moor and 
Naseby and the operations at Bristol. Rupert was sent by the 
king to besiege it. He offered such generous terms that the town 
surrendered to the loyalists. 

Other stories : 

The Adventures of Timothy (1907), by Edith C. Kenyon, 
dealing with the same period of the war. It introduces Jeremy 
Taylor of Oxford. 

Hugh Gwyeth: a Roundhead Cavalier (1899), by Beulah M. 
Dix. 

In Spite of All (1901), by Edna Lyall. Hopton, who assisted 
in raising the king's army ; Archbishop Laud, who was impeached 
by the Long Parliament and executed in 1645 5 Cromwell and 
others are introduced into the story. 



THE MODERN ERA 285 

A Legend of Montrose. 1819. Sir Walter Scott 

The Earl of Montrose (1612-1650) at first espoused the cause 
of the Covenanters and was at the head of their troops in the 
Highlands. It was the old Scotch custom for those who were 
the adherents of some cause to commit themselves by a Specific 
bond to support each other to the end. The Covenant, that had 
so much to do with the Scottish Reformation, was such a bond. 

When Charles I, in 1638, attempted to impose upon the Scotch 
Church the liturgy of the English Church, the Scotch people re- 
belled and revived the Covenant of 1581, which at that time was 
concerned with Catholicism. This Covenant, in opposition to an 
act of Charles, was signed by people of every class throughout 
Scotland, and the word "Covenant" became the war-cry of the 
Presbyterian party. As already noted, when hostilities broke out 
between Charles and the Parliament, the latter appealed to Scot- 
land for military aid. As a condition to granting that aid the 
Scotch demanded that the Parliament pledge itself to the demands 
of Presbyterianism. Consequently the doctrines of the Church 
were formulated in the body of divinity known as the West- 
minster Confession, which is still the rule of faith of the Presby- 
terian Church. 

Until 1641 Montrose led the Scotch forces against the king, 
but being refused the supreme command of their army, he passed 
over to the side of the royalists, the king creating him a marquis 
in 1644. He conducted a victorious campaign against the Cove- 
nanters, defeating them at Tippermuir, Aberdeen, Auldearn, 
Alford and Kilsyth, but in 1645 ne was defeated at Philiphaugh 
by David Leslie, and in Scotland the cause of Charles was ruined. 
In 1650 when he attempted another invasion of Scotland in the 
interests of Charles II he was defeated and executed at Edin- 
burgh. 

In this story Scott has given us the campaign of Montrose in 
the north of Scotland in support of Charles I. One of the inter- 
esting characters is Dugald Dalgetty, the Laird of Drumthwacket. 
His sword is for sale to the highest bidder, and he finally enters 
the service of Monteith. He is a braggart, but he is also brave 
and has initiative. Commenting upon his character, Andrew 
Lang says : "Dugald is a garrulous pedant and may be styled one 
of Scott's bores, but he never bores us, whether he sets forth 



286 HISTORICAL FICTION 

his simple reasons for serving the king's army and not the Cove- 
nanters ; or criticises the various services of Europe ; or lectures 
on the propriety of fortifying the sconce of Drumsnab ; or faces 
Argyll in Inverary or masters him in the dungeon, or wheedles 
the Presbyterian chaplain ; or mocks the bows and arrows of his 
allies, the Children of the Mist; or swaggers about in the fresh 
glories of his title of Knight Banneret." 

Amyas Egerton, Cavalier. 1896. Maurice H. Hervey 

The army, called the New Model army, was victorious in prac- 
tically every engagement till there was no organized royalist army 
in the field. Charles was shut up in Oxford and was compelled to 
surrender, which he did to the Scotch army and was imprisoned 
in Holmby House, Northamptonshire. So the war seemed to be 
over, and Parliament decided to disband the army but refused to 
pay them their wages. The army refused to be disbanded and 
issued a declaration that it would hold together until peace was 
assured and the government settled. It became suspicious of 
Parliament and decided to hold the king in their own custody. He 
was kept at various points — Newmarket, Hampton Court, Caris- 
brooke and other places. 

During this period negotiations between Charles and the Par- 
liament were conducted. In the hope of getting to France he 
eluded his jailors at Hampton Court and escaped to the Isle of 
Wight, and placed himself under the protection of the governor 
of Carisbrooke Castle. Civil war was renewed, and after Crom- 
well and Fairfax had again suppressed the royalists the army 
returned to London and demanded that Charles should be executed 
for the bloodshed he had caused. 

A High Court of Justice was created by the Commons, con- 
sisting of 135 persons, to try the king for treason. The trial was 
held in Westminster Hall. The cousin of Cromwell presided. 
The king was charged with having attempted to destroy the liber- 
ties of the people, and of being a tyrant, traitor and murderer. 
He refused to answer to the charge, declaring that the court had 
no lawful authority from the people of England by which to try 
him ; that he was responsible to no human tribunal. He declared 
"I fear not death. Death is not terrible to me ; I bless my God 
I am prepared." He was convicted and sentenced to be executed. 



THE MODERN ERA 287 

When, on January 30, 1649, ne stepped upon the scaffold and 
saw the crowds thronging the streets, he said, "I am the martyr 
of the people, :" and then died under the axe. While this execu- 
tion created sympathy for the king "it tended to dispel the halo of 
sacredness which had surrounded royalty." 

This story describes the progress of the war to the surrender 
of the king. His escape from Hampton Court to the Isle of 
Wight, with an attempt to rescue him, are detailed. The closing 
scenes of the trial and execution are portrayed. 

Other stones : 

Holmby House (i860), by G. J. Whyte-Melville. 

The Prisoner of Carisbrooke (1904), by S. H. Burchell. 

The Cavaliers (1895), by S. R. Keightley, which gives the at- 
tempt to rescue the king from Carisbrooke. These stories deal 
with the general facts as given above. 



CHAPTER III 

THE COMMONWEALTH 

The execution of Charles I was the consummation of the strug- 
gle between royalty and its theory of absolute authority and Par- 
liament as representative of the people. The great error of 
Charles lay in trying to "substitute the personal will of Charles 
Stuart for the legal will of the King of England." 

The Commonwealth was now formed under the declaration of 
the Commons that "the people are under God, the source of all 
just power." Taking upon themselves the right to act in the 
name of the people, "they decreed the abolition of monarchy and 
of the House of Lords, and declared England to be a Common- 
wealth, or free state, with an executive council of forty-one 
members." 

After Cromwell had turned out the Rump Parliament a writ- 
ten constitution, called the Instrument of Government, was 
adopted, in which Cromwell was named Lord Protector of Eng- 
land, Scotland and Ireland for life. Oliver Cromwell (1599- 
1658) was a native of Huntington. In 1628 he was elected mem- 
ber for Huntington, and in the Long Parliament represented Cam- 
bridge. He was especially active in religious matters, and decided 
to leave the country if the Grand Remonstrance did not pass. We 
have already noticed the service he rendered Parliament as com- 
mander of the troops in the Civil War, and the manner in which 
his ability, decisiveness and dispatch were exhibited. 

Cromwell's government, by his foreign policies, brought to 
England a greater respect abroad than had been the case since 
the reign of Elizabeth. In 1656 Parliament offered the crown to 
Cromwell, which he refused. He matched his age more com- 
pletely than any other man. "The age was great, great in oppor- 
tunities and events, and called for a great man ; and among not 
a few who were more than ordinary, who were clear-sighted, 
true and patriotic, he was the one great man — great because he 

288 



THE MODERN ERA 289 

was strong and wise, because he had the mind to perceive and 
the will to do what needed to be done." 

Cromwell was the best representative of his age, and we must 
understand the Commonwealth largely in terms of its Protector. 
The government did not have its roots in the nation and was per- 
sonal rather than national, and could not hope to survive the man 
who had called it into being and sustained it. It continued for 
the brief period of eleven years (1649- 1660). 

The Stories 

Castle Omeragh. 1903. Frank F.Moore 

In 1649 Cromwell went to Ireland to put down the rebellion 

that had arisen. He stormed and captured Drogheda and put 
the entire garrison to the sword. This act he justified on the 
ground that he was avenging the massacre there of eight years 
before, and also as a drastic measure to prevent future bloodshed. 
Some towns were terrified into submission, but Wexford held out 
and suffered the fate of Drogheda. In this campaign, within a 
few months Leinster, Kilkenny and Clonmel were taken. 

This British novelist and dramatist (1855-) was born at Lim- 
erick, Ireland, and received his education at the Royal Academical 
Institution, Belfast. His novels, as a rule, are of a sensational 
type and incorporate incidents of the author's travels. 

This campaign is set forth in this story. It describes the ex- 
tinction of the garrison Drogheda and CromwelPs following suc- 
cess. Another story by the same author, the sequel of this story, 
is Captain Latymer, which describes the conditions in Ireland dur- 
ing this period. 

Harry Ogilvie. 1856. James Grant 

In the conflict between the Parliament and Charles I several of 
the ships of the Parliament went over to Prince Charles, son of 
Charles. With these he made an attempt to blockade the Thames, 
but was compelled to retire to Holland. Following the execution 
of his father, he assumed the title of King and was proclaimed 
King of Scotland at Edinburgh. He came to Scotland, took the 
Covenant and in 165 1 was crowned at Scone. His cause was 



2 9 o HISTORICAL FICTION 

hopeless, and what contributed to that fact was the lack of unity 
among his followers. 

In this story the author takes us back to the events of the Civil 
War from the royalist point of view. We have in a former sketch 
presented the facts regarding the Covenant, and this figures in 
this story. It follows on to the events in the career of the Prince 
as stated above. 

Cavalier and Covenant. 1895. George Eyre-Todd 

The coronation of Charles at Scone took Cromwell into Scot- 
land. The great majority of the Scots, under the leadership of 
the Earl of Argyle, head of the great Campbell clan, demanded 
that Charles should rule as a Presbyterian king. In September 
(1650) Cromwell, with a much smaller force, inflicted a crushing 
defeat upon the Scots under David Leslie, an able commander, 
at Dunbar. He captured 10,000 prisoners. He then occupied 
Edinburgh. Charles was with Leslie and thought that he could 
bring about a royalist uprising by marching into England while 
Cromwell was engaged in the Highlands. But a Scotch invading 
army did not secure for Charles a warm reception. Cromwell 
pursued Leslie and the king, but did not overtake them until they 
had reached Worcester. He attacked them in two divisions. 
Charles made the first attack, but was thrown back into the town 
where the two divisions of the Parliament army came together and 
drove the royalists through the streets. So complete was the de- 
feat that the cause of Charles seemed utterly ruined. 

This story, in which history dominates, sets forth the situation 
in Scotland in connection with Charles and Presbyterianism. It 
brings forward the movements of Cromwell and the defeating of 
Leslie at Dunbar. The story carries us forward to the next great 
move, the crushing of Charles in the battle of Worcester. 

Wanderer and King. 1903. O. V. Caine 

When Charles was defeated at Worcester he was about twenty 
years of age. He escaped from the battle, but not a regiment of 
his army reached the border. Thousands who escaped death in the 
battle perished afterwards, while half of the nobility of Scotland 
were in the hands of Cromwell, who abolished the Scotch Parlia- 



THE MODERN ERA 291 

ment, but allowed them to send thirty members to the Parliament 
at London. When Charles escaped from the battle he found 
refuge in the house of John Giiford of Boscobel, Shropshire. 
Lord Derby placed him in charge of some woodcutters named 
Penderell. He was concealed for several days, but so hotly was 
he pursued that it was necessary for him to be hidden in an oak 
tree in the Boscobel woods. He finally made his escape and got 
on board a ship that landed him in France. For nine years he 
wandered about France, Germany and the Low Countries, and his 
reception was according to the manner in which the monarchs 
and ministers of these countries feared Cromwell. A few faith- 
ful followers accompanied him. 

These wanderings of Charles constitute the historical setting 
of this story. It describes the manner in which he was befriended 
in making his escape to the ship, and his subsequent experiences 
in his wanderings. 

Other stories : 

The House of the Oak (1911), by H. A. Hinkson. 

Boscobel; or the Royal Oak (1872), by W. H. Ainsworth. 

Patricia at the Inn (1906), by J. C. Snaith. 

Scouting for a King (1910), by Ernest Protheroe. 

These stories deal with this period following the battle of 
Worcester. 

Woodstock. 1826. Sir Walter Scott 

This story belongs to this same period of the flight of Charles. 
He comes to Woodstock, and the Roundhead who loves the daugh- 
ter of the keeper of the Park treats Charles in such a generous 
manner that it commends him most favorably to the daughter, 
Colonel Desborough is introduced. He was one of the commis- 
sioners sent by Parliament to arrange for Woodstock Palace and 
Park becoming national property. 

Prince Rupert the Buccaneer. 1901. Charles J. C.Hyne 

Prince Rupert (1619-1682), it will be remembered from our 
study of the time of Charles I, was given command of the Royal- 
ist cavalry and figured in all the battles of the Civil War until the 



292 HISTORICAL FICTION 

surrender of Bristol cost him the loss of his command. He was 
then given command of the fleet and exhibited ability in the man- 
ner in which he kept away from Blake. In 165 1, however, Blake's 
opportunity came, and he inflicted on Rupert such a crushing 
defeat that the latter lost most of his ships. With the few that 
escaped destruction he fled to the West Indies and carried on a 
buccaneering warfare against the English merchant ships. He 
then went to France, and after Charles II came to the throne he 
did good service under Monk. 

This story describes these events from the time of Blake's 
victory to the operations of the buccaneers. It is a vivid repre- 
sentation of the character and achievements of the Prince and 
the men in his service. 

Scapegrace Dick. 1886. Frances M. Peard 

Robert Blake (1 599-1657) was a member of the Long Parlia- 
ment. In 1649 ne was appointed one of the commanders of the 
navy, and did efficient service as noted above in his destruction 
of the large part of the Royalist fleet in Malaga Harbor. In 1852 
he had a sharp engagement with the Dutch in the Straits of Dover. 
He again met the Dutch under Van Tromp. The naval force of 
the latter was greatly superior and Blake was defeated and com- 
pelled to take refuge in the Thames. In 1653 tne English again 
encountered the fleet of Van Tromp, and after a hard fought bat- 
tle the English won a great victory. Van Tromp was slain. Re- 
ceiving the command of the Mediterranean fleet, he sailed into 
the harbor of Teneriffe in the face of the fire from the forts, and 
captured a large fleet of galleons. 

These naval operations under Blake in his conflict with the 
Dutch and the Spaniards are set forth by this story. 

Friend Olivia. 1890. Amelia E. Barr 

This American novelist (1831-) was born in England. After 
her marriage with Robert Barr in 1850 she went to Texas, where 
she lost her husband and three sons by the yellow fever. She 
then removed to New York. She has written many novels since 
she began writing in 1872, her first work being Romance and 
Reality, 



THE MODERN ERA 293 

The sect known as Quakers owe their origin to George Fox. 
He began preaching about 1647, an d from that time was either 
traveling or in prison. At the beginning of the Commonwealth 
they had established assemblies in Lancashire and received the 
protection of Cromwell. They as well as other dissenters suf- 
fered from the Acts of Uniformity and the Corporation Act. 
When James II came to the throne they petitioned him for tolera- 
tion, and at this time had the support of Penn, who became a 
Quaker in 1667, and received from the king the land lying between 
Maryland and New York and founded the colony called after 
him — Pennsylvania. One of the leading articles of its constitu- 
tion granted freedom of conscience to all who acknowledged the 
"one eternal God." The word "Quakers" seems to have arisen 
either from the fact that they sometimes trembled from religious 
emotion, or from the use that Fox made of the expression "trem- 
ble at the word of the Lord." 

This story relates to this period of the early days of this new 
sect, and is a study of its characteristics. It also treats the 
Puritans of this time with magnanimity. During the time of the 
English Reformation a difference arose between the moderate 
Reformers and those who contended for the greater simplicity 
in the form and ceremonies of worship. Those who refused to 
subscribe to the liturgy and ceremonies of the Church were 
branded as "Puritans." 

Penruddock of the White Lambs. 1903. Samuel H. 

Church 

In establishing his government Cromwell had difficulties to 
contend with. The Puritan party was divided. "The Levellers," 
led by John Lilburne, demanded democratic equality. Republi- 
cans who had formerly supported Cromwell, such as Vane and 
Ludlow, became opposed to his government, refusing to acknowl- 
edge it. The right of Cromwell to rule was questioned by lawyers. 
In the midst of these divisions and disturbing tendencies Cromwell 
yielded nothing, but declared that his government was the only 
established one in England, and he laid his hand heavily upon the 
disputants. In 1655, at Salisbury, Colonel Penruddock led the 
royalists in a revolt which the troops of Cromwell immediately 
suppressed. 



294 HISTORICAL FICTION 

These conditions during this period of the Commonwealth are 
dealt with by this story. It describes the uprising under Pen- 
ruddock and its suppression. It introduces a great many historical 
personages such as the Duke of Ormonde, the most powerful 
nobleman in Ireland, who was made lieutenant-general of the 
king's forces in 1641 and afterwards was with Charles II in his 
exile. Edward Whalley, the cousin of Cromwell, who distin- 
guished himself in the battle of Naseby, and who had charge of 
Charles I while imprisoned at Hampton Court, is introduced. 

The King's Signet. 1909. Morice Gerard 

George Monk (1608- 1670) returned to England from abroad 
at the time the Civil War began. He was undecided for a time 
which side to support, but finally concluded he would join the 
forces of Ormonde, which came from Ireland to assist the king. 
He was made major-general of these troops. He was made a 
prisoner in the battle of Nantwich, and was kept in the Tower 
for two years. He was then given command of the English 
forces in Ulster and convinced Cromwell of his military ability. 
He was made commander of artillery of the parliamentary forces 
in 1650 and so distinguished himself in the battle of Dunbar, in 
which David Leslie was crushed, that Cromwell left him there 
to complete the subjugation of Scotland. When Cromwell died 
he marched to London, and when he saw the strength of the roy- 
alist sentiment he determined to restore the monarchy and sent 
for Charles II. Monk reaped the highest rewards in the Restora- 
tion. He was created Duke of Albemarle and lieutenant-general 
of the forces and received a perpetual annual pension of $35,000. 

The essential relation of Monk to this period is brought out 
in this story, which carries us forward to the Restoration. 



CHAPTER IV 

FROM THE COMMONWEALTH TO THE 
HOUSE OF HANOVER. 

Reign of Charles II. 

Richard, the son of Cromwell, succeeded his father as Pro- 
tector, but he lacked his father's ability and could not hold the 
support of the army. The Rump was soon restored and Richard 
was forced to abdicate. It became clear to the people upon the 
death of Cromwell, that the only hope of establishing a settled 
form of government and preventing a state of despotism by the 
army lay in the restoration of the monarchy. We have just noted 
the part played by Monk in the Restoration and in calling Charles 
out of exile. He entered London in triumph (1660) and signed 
the Declaration of Breda. This was a manifesto sent by Charles 
to Parliament, in which he granted a free pardon to all "who 
within forty days after the publishing hereof shall lay hold upon 
this our grace and favor and shall by any public act declare their 
doing so." It granted amnesty for all political offences during the 
Civil War and since ; it provided that the king should rely upon 
a free parliament for advice and toleration in matters of religious 
opinion. 

Things went well for a time, but finally Parliament allowed 
him the rights that the former Parliament had refused to his 
father and fought to prevent him securing. To obtain money to 
maintain his extravagant court, he employed illegal measures. 
He was a grossly immoral man and had many mistresses to whom 
were born at least twelve illegitimate children, among whom were 
James, Duke of Monmouth, Charles Beauclerc, son of Nell Gwynn 
and the ancestor of the Dukes of St. Albans, and Charles Lennox, 
son of the Duchess of Portsmouth and ancestor of the Dukes of 
Richmond. 

The Stories 

The Coming of the King. 1904. Joseph Hocking. 

In 1648, the year prior to the death of Charles I, Lucy Walters 
became the mistress of Charles II. She was the daughter of a 

295 



296 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Welsh gentleman. James, Duke of Monmouth, was born to them, 
and she lived with Charles in Holland in the time of the Com- 
monwealth. She came to England in 1656 while Cromwell was 
Protector and was placed in the Tower from which she was soon 
released. The facts pertaining to his birth stood in the way of 
the Duke of Monmouth when he claimed the throne, and his 
supporters declared that his mother had been secretly married to 
Charles II. No proof of this was furnished. 

In this story is set forth the relation that Charles sustained 
to Lucy Walters, and the matter of the certificate as proof of this 
marriage. 

The Third Act of Uniformity (1662) required, that in or- 
der to maintain a universal agreement in public worship, and to 
guarantee national peace, that all ministers use the Book of Com- 
mon Prayer, and those who refused to do so should be deprived 
of their livings. The result was that about 2,000 ministers, many 
of them men of great ability and of the highest character, were 
expelled from their livings, were forbidden to hold dissenting 
religious meetings, and were debarred from the profession of 
teaching. One of the greatest souls who fell under this Act of 
Uniformity was John Bunyan (1628-1688). He was the son of 
a tinker of Elstow near Bedford. He served as a soldier in the 
Civil War. He joined the Baptists at Bedford and undertook to 
teach them. Being of a dissenter body he was imprisoned for 
twelve years (1660- 1670) and again in 1675. During this im- 
prisonment he wrote his religious allegory, The Pilgrim's Prog- 
ress, a picture of the spiritual life, that has been translated into 
more languages than any other book except the Bible. 

In this story the situation created by the Act of Uniformity 
in dispossessing ministers of their living, and the sufferings of 
others, are portrayed. 

The Touchstone of Fortune. 1912. Charles Major. 

At heart Charles was a Catholic, if he could be considered 
anything at all religiously. His brother James, Duke of York, 
who was also his heir, adhered to the Catholic Church. The Test 
Act (1673) was passed excluding Catholics from administrative 
offices. This would necessarily exclude the Duke of York from 



THE MODERN ERA 297 

the succession, and it gave rise to the two parties, the Tories and 
the Whigs. Anne Hyde, daughter of the Earl of Clarendon, be- 
came the maid of honor to the Princess of Orange and in 1660 
was privately married to the Duke of York. The queen-mother 
did her best to have the marriage annulled. It failed, and she 
was then publicly acknowledged as Duchess of York. She was 
the mother of two daughters, Mary and Anne. In 1670 she be- 
came a Catholic. 

Sarah Jennings entered the household of the Duchess of York 
and the most intimate friendship sprang up between her and 
Anne the Duchess. In 1678 Sarah married Colonel John Church- 
ill, afterwards Duke of Marlborough. The Churchills exercised 
such an influence over Anne that she joined the party of the 
Prince of Orange. John Churchill was raised to the peerage by 
James, but when William of Orange appeared in England Church- 
ill deserted James and passed over to William. 

James, son of Charles II by Lucy Walters, in 1662 was created 
Duke of Monmouth and apartments in Whitehall were given to 
him. 

Eleanor Gwynn (usually spoken of as Nell) was a beautiful 
girl of poor parentage and an orange girl at a theater. She at- 
tracted Charles II and became his mistress, and by him had two 
sons. She was one of the Ladies of the Bedchamber to the 
Queen. Her generous disposition secured for her great popular- 
ity. 

These and other historical personages appear in this story in 
their various relations and interrelations together with the sister 
of Sarah Jennings whose love interests are given. 

The King's Guerdon. 1906. James Blythe 

James, brother of Charles II, was created Duke of York im- 
mediately after his birth. In the Civil War he was captured when 
Oxford surrendered, but disguised as a girl he managed to escape 
to Holland. He returned with Charles in 1660 and was made 
Lord High Admiral. He was given command of the fleet. The 
commercial rivalry between England and Holland demanded that 
the one or the other establish supremacy upon the seas. War 
was declared in 1665 with James in command of the English 
fleet. The latter won a bloody victory off Lowestaft, and at this 



298 HISTORICAL FICTION 

time seized the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam and trans- 
formed it into New York. 

These events, describing this naval victory, are dealt with by 
this story. Before the war was over a great plague swept London 
which carried off thousands of inhabitants. It paralyzed business 
and the ordinary movement of life. With the passing of the 
plague came the great fire in 1666, and two-thirds of London 
were laid in ruins. These disasters for a time impressed Charles 
and his profligate court seriously. These calamities are set forth 
in this story. 

Other Stories : 

The events of these two calamitous years, 1665-66, are set 
forth by the following stories. 

A Set of Rogues (1896) by Frank Barrett. 
Old St. Pauls (1841) by W. H. Ainsworth. 
When London Burned (1895) by G. A. Henty. 

Whitefriars. 1844. Emma Robinson 

In 1678 England was shaken by an imaginary conspiracy 
known as the Popish Plot. Titus Oates, a disreputable clergyman 
of the English Church, declared before a magistrate that he was 
in possession of a plot having gotten himself into the secrets of 
the Jesuits. He declared that twenty-six thousand pounds had 
been raised to be paid as a reward for the persons who should 
kill the king; prominent leaders were also to be slain; with the 
aid of a French army James was to be placed on the throne in 
defiance of the Test Act, and the Jesuits were to be raised to the 
highest positions in the land. Within a few days the magistrate 
was found murdered which at once established in the minds of 
the people the validity of the story of Oates. The panic seized 
the public and did not subside for two years. Leading Roman 
Catholics were cast into the Tower. Stafford was imprisoned 
for two years and then beheaded. On the testimony of Oates, 
that probably had not in it a grain of truth, thirty-five men were 
executed. The following year a bill was introduced to exclude 
James, the Duke of York, from the succession to the throne on 
the ground of the Test Act, he being a Roman Catholic. It was 
rejected in the House of Lords in 1680. 



THE MODERN ERA 299 

In 1683 a conspiracy was formed by some of the extreme 
Whigs, after the failure of the Exclusion Bill, to murder the 
king and James. This was to take place at the Rye House in 
Herfordshire, and has been called the Rye House Plot. Nothing 
came of it, but Russell was condemned on the statement of one 
witness and was executed ; the Earl of Essex died in the Towef 
and Sidney was executed. 

These events form the historical basis of this story, and all 
of these personages appear. 

Purple Love. 1908. Morice Gerard 

William Prince of Orange was the son of William II of 
Orange and Mary, the daughter of Charles I of England. He 
was born in 1650 and was reared under the aristocratic party in 
the Netherlands. The three things in which he was deeply in- 
terested were politics, military matters and the doctrines of 
Calvinism. The Dutch had elected him Stadholder, Captain- 
General and Admiral-General, and these offices were extended 
to his descendants. This interested Charles II, the uncle of 
William, and he determined to have him married to his niece 
Mary, daughter of James, Duke of York. 

These facts and relations are brought out in this story which 
presents William of Orange as he comes to England as Mary's 
suitor. The story describes his qualities that secured for him 
the favorable regard of the Court and the affection of Mary. Sir 
William Temple is also introduced. It was he who in 1668 se- 
cured the formation of the Triple Alliance against France and 
the Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle. When the Cabal ministry fell the 
Lord Treasurer offered him a Secretaryship of State, but he re- 
fused this and became ambassador at the Hague. When Danby 
was impeached and sent to the Tower Charles looked to Temple 
as the one man who could guide matters in the situation caused 
by the Popish Plot. 

Peveril of the Peak. 1823. Sir Walter Scott 

"For the main idea of the tale Sir Walter was indebted to 
some papers found by his younger brother, Thomas Scott, in the 
Isle of Man. These papers gave the story of William Christian, 
who took the side of the Roundheads against the high-spirited 



300 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Countess of Derby, and was subsequently tried and executed, ac- 
cording to the laws of the island, by that lady, for having de- 
throned his august mistress and imprisoned her and her family." 
The Earl of Derby, James Stanley, was appointed by Charles 
I as Lord-Lieutenant of Derbyshire. He fought in the Civil War, 
but the king came to distrust him and he was forced to retire 
to the Isle of Man. Lathom House was bravely defended by the 
Countess, Charlotte. The Earl joined Charles II and was taken 
prisoner in the battle of Worcester, was condemned and be- 
headed. The Countess continued to hold the Isle of Man till it 
was taken by Fairfax in 1651. 

In this story Colonel William Christian for many years sup- 
presses his Puritanical principles in the interest of the Roman 
Catholic Countess of Derby. It reaches a point where his con- 
science will not permit him to continue this policy and he sur- 
renders the Isle of Man to the Parliamentary army. When 
Charles II comes to the throne the Countess is restored to sov- 
ereignty in the island and she has Christian shot as a traitor. 

Edward, the brother of William Christian, is a plotter and 
false to every one. He was educated as a Puritan, and by the 
most clever hypocrisy held the confidence of the people. He is 
the father of Fenella, whom he has trained as a tool by which 
to accomplish his dastardly vengeance. Pie himself is the instru- 
ment of the Duke of Buckingham. This character, Edward, was 
a mere creation of Scott's imagination and did not know that 
William had a brother by that name. Scott says, "As I was not 
aware that such a person had existed, I could hardly be said to 
have traduced his character." 

As already noted, Fenella, in this story, is the daughter of 
Edward, but he had given her to believe that she was the daughter 
of his brother William, and that her first and supreme duty was 
to avenge his death. She spends her girlhood in the household 
of the Countess of Derby as a pretended deaf-mute. 

Thomas Colonel Blood is a historical character. He was an 
Irish soldier. He joined a conspiracy in 1663 t0 seize Dublin 
Castle, but the plot was discovered. He seized the Duke of Or- 
monde in the streets of London intending to have him hung at 
Tyburn, but the Duke escaped. In this story he is. an emissary 
of the second Duke of Buckingham who also figures in Scott's 



THE MODERN ERA 301 

Woodstock. The Duke declares that he is a scoundrel after his 
own heart and paints him as a murderer and hypocrite. 

This is the longest of all of the Waverly Novels and perhaps 
the most involved in its characters and incidents. 



Old Mortality. 1816. Sir Walter Scott 

In another connection we have spoken of the Covenant and 
the Solemn League and Covenant. The Covenant was not only 
a declaration of belief, but it demanded that others subscribe to 
the same belief. It was after the renewal of the Covenant in 
1638 that the name Covenanters was first taken, but it is usually 
associated with those who by force of arms defended the Pres- 
byterian faith and form of government during the reign of Charles 
II. The Covenant had been declared to be a seditious oath, and 
consequently those who had taken it and were bound by it were 
regarded as rebels, but the measures adopted in treating them 
even as such were unjustifiably extreme. 

We have already spoken of the Act by which thousands of 
ministers were ejected from their parishes. Their congregations 
gathered about them on the hillsides and in the glens where they 
held their services. These gatherings were called "conventicles," 
and the Act declared that it would be seditious for such meetings 
to be held, or for the ousted ministers to preach to their people. In 
defence of their religious faith and rights the Covenanters de- 
clared against such a law, and resorted to arms to secure such 
rights. The result was a widespread rebellion. 

John Graham of Claverhouse was commissioned to suppress 
the rebellion. The Cameronians, socalled from Richard Cameron 
the author of the Sanquhar Declaration, were also called Cove- 
nanters because of their absolute adherence to the Covenant. 
Against the Covenanters and Cameronians Claverhouse led the 
royal troops. At Drumclog the Cameronians were holding a meet- 
ing when the troops came upon them and the latter were de- 
feated. 

James, the son of Charles II by Lucy Walters, was sent to 
Scotland to check the rebellion. At Bothwell Bridge a fierce 
battle was fought. The insurgents held a strong position by the 
Clyde, but the royal troops had the greater resources and won a 
complete victory. Claverhouse pursued his relentless measures in 



302 HISTORICAL FICTION 

scouring the country with his troops, and slaying those who re- 
fused to take the Abjuration Oath, and the sufferings of the 
Covenanters were extreme. But they maintained their faith, and 
when William came to the throne the ousted ministers were re- 
stored to their pulpits and subscribing to the Covenant ceased to 
be a seditious oath. 

In various places in Scotland can be found the graves of the 
Covenanters. In Scott's story "Old Mortality" is an actual per- 
son. It is the nickname of Robert Paterson (1715-1801) who, 
with his gray horse, wandered among the cemeteries repairing 
and cleaning the gravestones of the Covenanters. Scott's friend, 
Joseph Train, suggested that in these circumstances lay a good 
novel, and that a story about Claverhouse might be put into the 
mouth of Old Mortality. "Who is Old Mortality?" asked Scott. 
"Never shall I forget," says Train, "the eager interest with which 
he listened while I related to him what I knew of old Robert 
Paterson, the wandering inscription cutter." In 1793 Scott met 
Paterson. 

The story sets forth the history of the conflict between the 
Covenanters and Claverhouse and James the Duke of Monmouth. 
The battle of Drumclog and that of Bothwell Bridge are de- 
scribed. John Balfour is a leader in the Covenanter army. Un- 
der Scott's description he is daring and violent and not afraid of 
consequences. In justifying the murder of Archbishop Sharp 
he says to Morton, "My conduct is open to men and angels. The 
deed was not done in a corner ; I am here to avow it, and care 
not where, or by whom, I am called on to do so ; whether in the 
council, the field of battle, the place of execution, or the day of 
the last great trial." Sharp was Archbishop of St. Andrews. 
When sent to London to beg for the establishment of Presbyte- 
rianism in Scotland he betrayed the cause. He was one of the 
chief persecutors of the Covenanters and his cruelties were so 
excessive that a band of Covenanters murdered him near St. An- 
drews. 

Other Stories: 

Describing this same period of persecution and rebellion. 
For Crown and Covenant (1902) by Cyril Grey. 
Bible and Sword (1905) by P. H. Hunter. 
The Men of the Moss-Hags (1895) by S. R. Crockett. 



THE MODERN ERA 



303 



Reign of James II 

James, Duke of York (1685-1701), was the brother of 
Charles II. In the foregoing he has figured considerably in the 
reign of Charles especially with reference to the attempts to pre- 
vent his accession to the throne on the ground of his adherence to 
the Catholic Church. He came to the throne with the determina- 
tion of attaining to absolute power, and of restoring the Roman 
Catholic religion. To this end he accepted a pension from Louis 
XIV. Instead of accomplishing his purpose he created a revolu- 
tion, was deserted by all and forced to leave his throne and go 
to France and spend the balance of his life in retirement. The 
facts of this reign in greater detail appear in connection with the 
stories. 

The Stories 

The Brown Mask. 1910. Percy J. Brebner 

When James II was crowned, James, Duke of Monmouth, 
the illegitimate son of Charles II by Lucy Walters, who was 
exiled by his father because of his associations with those who 
had designs against the government, returned from Holland and 
set up his claim as the lawful king. He denounced James II as 
a usurper. He declared himself the champion of Protestantism. 

His little army met the royal troops at Sedgemoor and was 
completely routed. Judge Jeffreys was sent down by James II 
to the insurgent district to try the rebels who had participated 
in the Monmouth rebellion and held what is known as the Bloody 
Assize. He sentenced to death between two and three hundred 
persons, and had hundreds of others banished, and for this James 
made him Lord Chancellor. As a matter of fact some of the 
trials of this judge were travesties of justice. The Duke of Mon- 
mouth appealed to James for mercy, but in nine days after the 
battle of Sedgemoor he was executed on Tower Hill. 

In these events this story has its historical setting. It de- 
scribes the claims and rebellion of James and his defeat. The 
Bloody Assize is set forth with Judge Jeffreys the leading figure. 

Micah Clarke. 1888. Arthur Conan Doyle 

When the Duke of Monmouth returned from Holland he 
landed at Lyme and marched to Taunton, Bridge water, Wells 



3 04 HISTORICAL FICTION 

and Frome, and all these places declared his legitimacy and he 
was solemnly proclaimed. 

This story is the account given by a follower of the Duke, 
and narrates the rebellion from its inception, the claims of James, 
the gathering of adherents, the march and final defeat at Sedge- 
moor. 

Deb Clavel. 1901. Mary E. Palgrave 

The Rye House Plot, to which reference has been made in 
the preceding section, occurred about two years previous to 
Monmouth's rebellion. Following the battle of Sedgemoor 
Elizabeth Gaunt was burned at London for assisting Burton, one 
of the conspirators of the Rye House Plot, to escape. 

This incident is introduced into this story which deals with 
the rebellion and the Bloody Assize. 

Other Stories : Dealing with these same events. 
Urith (1891) by S. Baring-Gould. 
Anthony Wilding (1910) by Rafael Sabatini. 
By Dulvercombe Water (1902) by Harold Vallings. 

A Cuirassier of Arran's. 1900. Claude Bray 

When James, in 1687, issued a Declaration of Indulgence, 
which swept away certain Acts of Parliament, England became 
alarmed. The opposition to his administration which every- 
where was manifested, made him all the more arbitrary. In 1688 
he demanded that the Anglican clergy read on two successive 
Sundays his Declaration of Indulgence which provided that per- 
sons holding office should be subjected to no religious tests, thus 
abolishing the Test Act. Seven bishops, one of whom was Wil- 
liam Sancroft, Archbishop of Canterbury, presented to him a pe- 
tition of refusal to obey the order. They were thrown into the 
Tower by the king and were tried for seditious libel. When the 
verdict of acquittal was given it was received by the people with 
great enthusiasm and satisfaction. 

The conditions were ripe for revolution. On the day the 
bishops were acquitted leading statesmen sent an invitation to 
William of Orange to take the throne. From a former reference 
it will be remembered that he came to England previously and 



THE MODERN ERA 305 

secured as wife Mary, the daughter of James. Moreover he had 
become the chief antagonist of Europe against the schemes of 
Louis XIV who supported the policies of James. 

William landed in England with 14,000 men carried in 500 
ships. He declared to the people he had come to secure to them 
their rights and to establish a free Parliament. The followers of 
James, including his daughter Anne, slipped away from him and 
he fled to France. 

These events, beginning with the occasion of the Revolution, 
the trial of the bishops, the landing of William, James deserted by 
his troops and his flight to France, are detailed in this story. Be- 
fore James left for France he destroyed the writs of summons 
for Parliament and dropped the Great Seal into the Thames, 
which fact also appears in the story. 

Under Three Kings. 1907. William K. Hill 

The scope of this story ranges from the closing days of 
Charles II and the reign of James to the flight of the latter. One 
of the first acts of James was to proceed against Titus Oates for 
perjury. The panic he precipitated in regard to the Popish Plot 
has already been set forth. He was flogged almost to the point 
of death. This incident is introduced into the story. 

In 1687 John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, opened com- 
munications with William of Orange, and when the latter ap- 
peared in England Churchill took sides with him. He received 
high favors at his hands, but in 1690 he began to correspond 
with James, and when it was discovered he professed repentance 
and received the king's pardon. His schemes led William to 
wholly distrust him, and in 1692 he deprived him of all his 
offices. His various measures for securing William's favor for 
his own aggrandizement are introduced in this story. 

The Sword of Freedom. 1911. Captain Charles Gilson 

The conditions leading to the Revolution, the call for Wil- 
liam, the opposition to James and the landing of the Dutch troops 
in England are well described by this story. Robert Sunderland, 
who is one of the historical personages was a leading minister 
of James II whom he found to be a man of ability, and devoid 



3o6 HISTORICAL FICTION 

of scruples and could be used in his schemes. When the Revolu- 
tion occurred he was driven into exile, but afterwards returned 
and managed to insinuate himself into William's favor. 

Other Stories: 

A Merry Heart (1893) by H. May Poynter. 
Mistress Dorothy Marvin (1895) by John C. Snaith. 
The Chariots of the Lord (1909) by Joseph Hocking. 
In Taunton Town (1895) by E. Everett Green. 

Reign of William III 

The year that William and Mary were placed upon the throne 
of England as joint sovereigns (1689) the Bill of Rights ap- 
peared which settled controverted constitutional questions. Free- 
dom of speech in Parliament and the right of petition was se- 
cured. The Bill of Rights added to the Magna Charta of 1215, 
and the Petition of Rights of 1628 completed the structure of the 
constitutional monarchy. When, after 1688, the rulers of Eng- 
land depended upon a vote of Parliament in coming to the throne, 
the supremacy of Parliament became an established fact and was 
no longer open to question. 

The Stories 

A Man's Foes. 1895. Euphans H. Strain 

William Mountjoy held office in Tyrconnel's administration 
in 1689. He was colonel of an Irish regiment. The county of 
Ulster supported William III, and Mountjoy was sent there to 
create an opposite feeling. He went to Londonderry and En- 
niskillen refused to listen to his proposal. Tyrconnel, to get rid 
of him, sent him on a mission to St. Germains. He sent Rice 
with him to tell James that Mountjoy was a traitor. He was 
cast into the Bastile where he was held for three years, and then 
was exchanged for Richard Hamilton. He then became a Whig 
and rendered service in William's army and fell in the battle of 
Steinkirk (1692). 

In 1689 James brought an army against Londonderry into 
which place 30,000 Protestants of Ulster had crowded. The peo- 
ple called out "No surrender" and placed their men upon the 
walls. Major Baker and Rev. George Walker were appointed 



THE MODERN ERA 307 

governors. Then the siege began, which, according to Macaulay, 
was the most memorable in the annals of the British Isles. It con- 
tinued for 105 days and the people were reduced to a state of 
famine. Kirke was sent by William to raise the siege. When 
they entered the town they found that the garrison had been re- 
duced to 3,000 men. 

In this story the situation in Ulster at this time is described; 
the strife between the Protestant and Catholic factions. The 
siege of Londonderry is an important episode, Mountjoy is one 
of the historical personages. 



Boyne Water. 1826. JohnBanim 

The Jacobites (from Jacobus, the Latin form of the name 
James) were the followers of the Stuart cause after the Rev- 
olution of 1688. Although the expulsion of James II was ef- 
fected with remarkable ease, William was yet to fight for his 
crown. James felt that he could depend upon the Catholic popu- 
lation of Ireland, and when he arrived the Irish Parliament ac- 
knowledged his claim and the people supported its attitude. It 
was necessary that William to be secure on his throne should 
hold England, Scotland and Ireland. 

James had no difficulty in raising an army in Ireland. He 
took up his position at the River Boyne. It was so strong that 
Schomberg tried to dissuade William from making an attack. 
Schomberg was sent to capture and cross the bridge of Slane 
and turn the Irish right. The French marched to meet him which 
left the Irish to face William. With his cavalry he crossed the 
river and the Irish infantry fled, while the Irish cavalry fought 
well. Their leader, Richard Hamilton, was taken prisoner. Early 
in the day James fled. This battle of the Boyne (1690) had an 
important bearing upon the subjugation of Ireland. 

James left his able general Sarsfield in command. William 
seized Dublin and a number of towns. Limerick was the last to 
hold out, but after a siege, and the men being allowed to cross 
over to France if they wished to do so, the city surrendered. 
Those who refused to take the oath of allegiance forfeited their 
estates. The Catholics were deprived of political rights, and a 
century of hardship settled down upon the country. 



3 o8 HISTORICAL FICTION 

This Irish novelist (1798-1842) was born at Kilkenney. It 
was his ambition, in conjunction with his brother Michael, to 
produce a number of stories that would accomplish for Ireland 
what Scott's novels were doing for Scotland. Their works hold 
a recognized place in literature. They contain many strong de- 
lineations of character, and set forth the dark places in Irish life 
and history. 

This story is well worked out along historical lines in setting 
forth this Jacobite rebellion and the military operations. The 
battle of the Boyne and siege and capitulation of Limerick are 
described. The political situation, Sarsfield, the general of James, 
and the two kings are well presented. 



Orange and Green. 1887. George A. Henty 

Patrick Sarsfield, who was defeated in the battle of the Boyne, 
insisted upon making a stand at Limerick and compelled William 
to raise the siege. He quarreled with the French general St. 
Ruth and disregarded the advice to avoid a battle after the fall 
of Athlone. He commanded the reserve at the battle of Aghrim, 
and by some mistake was not given the order to charge. Instead, 
he covered the retreat. He was again opposed in his advice to 
make a stand at Limerick. He failed to hold the city, and the ma- 
jority of the garrison, with Sarsfield, accepted the terms offered 
and went into the French service. 

This story covers these military operations in the fall of 
Athlone, Aghrim and Limerick, and renders a judgment on the 
position of Sarsfield following the contest at Limerick. Two boys, 
one a Protestant and the other a Catholic, figure in the story. 

Other Stories : 

Leixlip Castle (1883) by M. L. O'Byrne. 

In Sarsfield' s Days (1906) by Miss L. McManus. An impor- 
tant incident is the manner in which Sarsfield surprised the Eng- 
lish artillery in the first siege of Limerick and compelled the 
English to raise the siege. 

My Sword for Patrick Sarsfield (1907) by Randall McDon- 
nell. 



THE MODERN ERA 309 

The Glen O'Weeping. 1907. Marjorie Bowen 

The massacre of Glencoe (1692) left a dark stain on the 
reign of William III. In the Highlands of Scotland there was 
still an adherence to James. They defeated the royal forces at 
Killiecrankie. A proclamation required that all who followed 
Viscount Dundee, who was killed at Killiecrankie, to take an oath 
of allegiance by the last day of the year. Maclan, the head of a 
small branch of the McDonalds living in the valley of Glencoe 
delayed taking the oath until the last day, and in order to reach 
one to receive the oath was compelled to go to Inverary, and was 
six days late in making the oath. A warrant was signed by Wil- 
liam authorizing the wiping out of the population of Glencoe. A 
body of soldiers appeared in the glen who disarmed suspicion by 
acting in a friendly way. They were entertained by the clansmen 
for two weeks, giving them a merry time. Then upon a given 
signal they fell upon their hosts slaying over forty men, women 
and children. Those of the latter who escaped died of cold and 
starvation in the mountains. The Master of Stair, the king's 
minister in Scotland, who was an enemy to the clan used this 
opportunity to get revenge, but the fact remains that William 
signed the order and supported the perpetrators of the deed. 

This story deals with this incident, and attempts to get the 
blackness out of the deed by finding grounds for its justification. 
The story is good in delineation and description. 



JohnDeane. 1883. William H. G. Kingston 

In 1698 Admiral John Benbow was sent with a squadron to 
the West Indies to try and settle the trouble which had arisen 
between the Spanish and English settlers. In 1700 he was made 
Vice-Admiral, and was commissioned to influence the Spanish 
colonies to disown Philip of France who claimed the crown of 
Spain. At Jamaica he heard that Du Casse had arrived with a 
French squadron to suppress the English slave trade. Coming in 
sight of this squadron off St. Domingo, the captains of Benbow's 
three best ships refused to join in an attack. For four days Ben- 
bow fought them with his own ship. Benbow was badly wounded 
and was taken to Jamaica where he died. 



310 HISTORICAL FICTION 

John Deane of this story was with Benbow in the West In- 
dies. He is present at the operations of Sir George Rooke (1650- 
1709) who had rendered distinctive service in the war with 
France. When the war was renewed he took command of the 
English fleet and stormed Vigo, and in 1704 he captured Gibraltar 
which has ever since remained in British possession, which gives 
England a commanding position at the Atlantic entrance of the 
Mediterranean. In the same year Rooke won a great victory off 
Malaga. 

This English novelist (1814-1880) is distinguished as a writer 
of books for boys. He was born in London. While writing po- 
litical articles he lived for a considerable time in Oporto. After 
assisting in the commercial treaty with England in 1842 he was 
knighted and pensioned by the government of Portugal. After 
returning to England he interested himself in the welfare of 
sailors. He wrote over 100 books. 

These events are described by this story in setting forth the 
relation sustained to them by John Deane. 



Reign of Queen Anne 

Anne (1702-1714), the last of the Stuart sovereigns, was the 
daughter of James II and Anne Hyde, and sister of Mary the 
wife of William III. By order of Charles II she was trained in 
the Protestant faith under the care of Dr. Henry Compton and 
was deeply religious. Her interest in the good of her people 
won their love and she was called "The Good Queen Anne." 

Her goodness, however, could not make up for her lack of 
ability. She was a pure, pious woman, but in qualities of mind 
and judgment was not competent to grapple with the difficult 
problems of her reign, the struggle between Whigs and Tories 
for control of the government. Incessant war lasting for eleven 
years filled her reign with strife and bloodshed. The two leading 
features of this reign were the long war of the Spanish Succes- 
sion, and the union of England and Scotland (1707) forming the 
Kingdom of Great Britain. This act of union provided that the 
Scottish Parliament cease to exist, and that Scotland be repre- 
sented in both houses of the English Parliament. 



THE MODERN ERA 311 

The Stories 

The Sword of Gideon. 1905. John E. Bloundelle- 

Burton 

John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, led England's armies. 
It is said that while Anne ruled England, Marlborough and Sarah 
his duchess ruled the queen. These two have already come un- 
der considerable notice in our preceding studies which can be 
easily located by means of the Index. Marlborough was a greater 
soldier than he was a statesman. His chief ally was Sidney 
Godolphin, a man of considerable statesmanship and financial 
ability. When Sarah was in the household of Anne a great in- 
timacy sprang up between the two women which continued 
through the years. It was the Churchill influence largely that 
led Anne to announce to William of Orange her consent to his 
coming to England but in 1691 she became estranged from the 
king. The relations between Anne and Sarah were in no sense 
affected when the latter's husband in 1692 fell into disgrace. 

The War of the Spanish Succession was declared in 1702, and 
Marlborough was made Commander-in-Chief of the English and 
Dutch forces. The war was caused by the refusal of Louis XIV 
to stand by the agreement he made with William III relative to 
the matter of Succession. He had also acknowledged the Pre- 
tender as successor to the English throne. William, on the other 
hand, had established an alliance between England, Holland and 
the Empire. Marlborough at once went to Holland to capture 
the French garrisons that Louis had established in the Spanish 
Netherlands. Liege, Venloo and other towns were taken, which 
cut off the French from the Lower Rhine. 

This story belongs to this period and describes the early opera- 
tions of Marlborough in the siege and capture of Liege. 

Across the Salt Seas. 1898. John E. Bloundelle 

Burton 

In 1702, under the Duke of Ormonde and Sir George Rooke, 
the fleet sailed to Vigo Bay, where the Spanish galleons lay. 
When the French commander saw that he could not save the 
vessels he ordered them to be set afire. Eleven men of war were 
destroyed and the English and Dutch captured ten. 



312 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The battle of Blenheim was fought during the third cam- 
paign of the war (1704). Louis XIV hoped to strike a blow at 
Vienna, but Marlborough divined his plan and secured a junction 
with Prince Eugene. Blenheim was situated on the northern 
bank of the Danube. The French commander so placed his 
forces as to leave the center weak, which Marlborough took ad- 
vantage of and cut the line in two. It won the day. The French 
troops in Blenheim surrendered. It was a brilliant victory, and 
the French were driven out of Germany. 

This story covers these two sets of operations, those at Vigo 
Bay and the military movements to the battle of Blenheim. One 
of the historical characters is Sir Cloudesley Shovel, who rose 
from the position of cabin boy to that of Admiral. He brought 
home the treasure from Vigo Bay. 

The Glory of War. 1912. Henry A. Hinkson 

Marlborough encountered Marshal Villervi at Ramillies 
(1706), and the victory here secured to the allies the whole of 
the Netherlands. Italy was lost to France and Louis XIV pro- 
posed terms of peace, which were rejected. In 1708 was fought 
the battle of Oudenarde, one of the great battles of the war. The 
war was becoming unpopular and Marlborough resolved on a 
decisive blow. The French forces numbered 100,000 and those 
of the allies 80,000. There was lack of unanimity on the part 
of the French officers. Their army was completely routed. 

The operations leading up to this important battle, and this 
battle of Oudenarde, are carefully described in this story. The 
leading historical personages who belong to these events are intro- 
duced, and among them George of Hanover, the next English 
monarch. 

The White Gauntlet. 1912. Percy J. Brebner 

The successes of Marlborough brought him to the acme of 
power and distinction. But the close friendship that had existed 
between the Duchess of Marlborough and the Queen for many 
years had changed. The former had become a radical Whig and 
her temper had cooled Anne's friendship, and the queen and the 
Tory party were subjected to her most scathing criticism. 



THE MODERN ERA 313 

In 1709 was fought the battle of Malplaquet. It was the most 
sanguinary and obstinately contested battle of the war. The 
desperate resistance of the French, so much greater than they had 
shown before, turned the battle into a slaughter. The loss of 
the allies was even greater than that of the French, but Marl- 
borough and Eugene gained what was sought by their victory — 
the town of Mons was compelled to surrender. 

In this story the author gives a good delineation of Marl- 
borough and the Duchess introducing them to the reader in such 
a manner as makes possible a just estimate of them. It describes 
the battle just sketched. Godolphin figures in the story. He 
held offices at the court of Charles II, and had a seat in Parlia- 
ment. He became Secretary of State and James made him Cham- 
berlain to the Queen. The Whigs drove him from office, but on 
the accession of Anne he was made Lord Treasurer through the 
influence of Marlborough, the latter's daughter being the wife 
of Godolphin's son. 

The Baronet in Corduroy. 1903. Albert Lee 

In 1709 Dr. Henry Sacheverell preached at St. Paul's Cathe- 
dral a sermon on "The Perils of False Brethren, Both in Church 
and State," which struck fiercely at Dissenters and the Whig 
ministry, especially Godolphin, whom he spoke of as Old Fox. 
It created such a sensation that 40,000 copies of the sermon were 
sold. It was proposed that he be impeached, in which Godolphin 
concurred, while Marlborough opposed it. When brought to trial 
Sacheverell presented a forceful and uncompromising defence. 
He was found guilty, but in such a way that it was equivalent to 
an acquittal. Popular sympathy was wholly with him. The 
queen presented him with the living of St. Andrews, and for the 
first sermon he received $500. 

This story exhibits as one of its interests the streets of Lon- 
don during this trial, the crowds and their noisy comments. This 
was the age of Defoe, author of "Robinson Crusoe" ; of Steele, 
the essayist; Swift, the greatest English satirist; Addison, the 
poet; and these and others figure in the story. The central fact 
of the plot is the scheme to bring the Pretender, James Edward 
Stuart, to England, 



314 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Under the Dome of St. Paul's. 1898. Emma Marshall 

The great fire of London in 1666 furnished Christopher Wren 
with the opportunity of exercising his powers. He was the most 
famous architect of his time. His abilities found expression in 
his great masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral, designed and built by 
him. He also designed the Palace at Hampton Court, the Church 
of St. Stephen's, the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge, and 
other great buildings. Over the north doorway of St. Paul's is a 
memorial tablet on which are the words, "If you seek his monu- 
ment, look around you." 

This story gives us splendid characterization of this great mas- 
ter, and introduces us to the city of London in its streets and 
structures. 



CHAPTER V 

FROM THE STUART DYNASTY TO THE 
FRENCH REVOLUTION 

With the death of Anne the Stuart Dynasty ended, and from 
that time to the present the Hanover Dynasty has ruled Britain. 
George I, on his mother's side, was the great-grandson of James I 
of England. Hanover was formerly a kingdom in the northwest 
of Germany. In 1692 it was made an electorate. In 1714 its 
elector was George Louis, who became George I of England. 

To state briefly the stages through which it passed, (1) The 
dominions of the Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg were erected 
into the electorate of Hanover in 1692. (2) Its union with Eng- 
land in 1714. (3) In 1803 it was occupied by the French. (4) 
It was given by Napoleon to Prussia in 1805. (5) It was ceded 
to Napoleon by Prussia in 1807. (6) In 1813 it was recovered by 
the English dynasty. (7) It was erected into a kingdom in 181 4. 
(8) It was separated from England in 1837. (9) In 1866 it was 
annexed to Prussia. 

England owes much to her insular position. It is one of 
the secrets of her great development and her ruling influence in 
the world. While passing through the political crises of the 
seventeenth century it protected her from foreign interference, 
and the same was true while she was passing through the religious 
revolution of the sixteenth. During this period she was charac- 
terized by the sentiment of loyalty and attachment to political 
liberty. When the quarrel between the loyalists and the anti- 
papists was at an end, and the House of Hanover succeeded to 
the throne, the ruling passion became that of liberty. 

The radical change in British institutions is seen in the fact 
that beginning with this new period Parliament could do almost 
anything without the king, while he could do nothing without 
Parliament. "Against its own government the country defended 
itself by means of its rights and liberties. It had private rights, 
whereby the person of an Englishman, his domicile and his purse, 

315 



3i6 HISTORICAL FICTION 

were rendered inviolable against all illegal acts ; and public rights, 
namely, the right of complaint and petition, the right of meeting! 
the right of association, the right to speak and to write. England 
was free ; indeed, in the eighteenth century she was the only free 
nation in the world." 

Reign of George I 

In 1698 George (1714-1727) succeeded his father as elector. 
During the War of the Spanish Succession he was a commander 
in the imperial army and won distinction by his bravery. As early 
as 1701 he was selected as the heir to the British crown and as- 
cended that throne on the death of Queen Anne. For 116 years 
the "Four Georges" ruled England. George was not popular 
with his British subjects; he could not speak the English lan- 
guage, and did not sympathize with English traditions and ideals. 

During his reign occurred the rising of the Scottish Jacobites, 
the triple and quadruple alliances against Spain and the failure 
of the South Sea Company. Believing that all Tories were Ja- 
cobites, George gave his full support to the Whigs, and from 
them formed his ministry. The Whigs had the support of the 
commercial class. They believed in tolerance, and in this were 
in line with the new age. 

The Stories 

Veronica Play fair. 1910. Maud W. Goodwin 

At the close of the reign of Anne five men and one woman 
were prominent in the affairs of state. Harley (Earl of Oxford), 
Henry St. John (Viscount Bolingbroke), the Dukes of Argyle, 
Somerset, and Shrewsbury, and Lady Masham. As has already 
been noted, the year before the accession of Anne, George was 
selected as heir to the British crown to follow Anne. At the close 
of Anne's reign the civil service and army were being filled with 
men who were Jacobites and evidently with a view to changing 
the succession. Bolingbroke declared for the restoration of the 
Stuart line. Through the influence of Lady Masham, who be- 
came a favorite with the queen when the Duchess of Marlborough 
lost her place in Anne's friendship, Harley, who was practically 
prime minister, was dismissed, and Bolingbroke was made prime 
minister. In the treaty of Utrecht, at the close of the War of 



THE MODERN ERA 317 

Spanish Succession, he entered into private negotiations with 
France in violation of all agreements with the allies. 

On the death of Anne the Whigs seized the government before 
Bolingbroke could carry out his schemes and the Whigs controlled 
the Parliament. Knowing that he would be impeached, both be- 
cause of his Stuart sympathies and his conduct in connection with 
the treaty of Utrecht, he fled to France, entered the service of the 
Pretender and was made Secretary of State. He was impeached 
by the English Parliament and sentence of banishment passed 
upon him. 

The opening days of the new dynasty with the political con- 
tests between the two parties forms the historical background 
of this story. Into the company of people Alexander Pope, poet 
and essayist, is introduced. To Bolingbroke he was indebted for 
the suggestion of the Essay on Man, one of his productions by 
which he is best known. In this literary circle of Pope, Swift, 
and Benjamin Franklin, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu appears. 
This English authoress (1689- 1762) was celebrated for her letters 
descriptive of Oriental life. It was she who introduced into Eng- 
land inoculation for small-pox. Beau Nash, under whose leader- 
ship the city of Bath reached the height of its influence and popu- 
larity and became a fashionable resort, figures also in the story. 
It is in Pope's house that the secret marriage takes place between 
the hero and heroine. 

Balmoral. 1893. Alexander Allardyce 

The scenes of this story are laid at Balmoral on the Dee in 
Scotland, set down in the midst of mountain scenery. The castle 
is built of gray granite. It is one of the royal residences of Great 
Britain, and was the favorite autumn residence of Queen Victoria. 
Also Dunnottar Castle near Stonehaven, which was the scene 
of the murder of Donald VI by the Danes in 900. It was taken 
by Sir William Wallace in 1298. In 1645 & was besieged by 
Montrose, and captured by Cromwell's troops in 165 1. It figured 
also in the conflict with the Covenanters. The story has its set- 
ting in the Jacobite rising in Scotland in 171 5 when James 
Edward Stuart, son of James II, called the Old Pretender, landed 
in Scotland from France and claimed the throne. At Braemar 
10,000 men joined his cause. The Earl of Mar was the leader of 



318 HISTORICAL FICTION 

the Jacobites. Under Derwentwater and Foster a similar risirg 
took place in the north of England. The English rebellion was 
crushed at Preston, and in Scotland the revolt ended with the bat- 
tle of Sheriffmuir. The battle was not decisive, although the 
Highlanders came off victorious. The Pretender had difficulty in 
making his escape and about forty of his followers were executed. 
The hero of the story belongs to the English Jacobites, and the 
heroine is the daughter of the laird of Balmoral. In their elope- 
ment they have an exciting flight over the country. 

Rob Roy. 1817. Sir Walter Scott 

Rob Roy (Robert Macgregor Campbell, 1665- 1735), a Scottish 
freebooter, met with reverses in his speculations in cattle-breeding 
and absconded with the money borrowed from the Duke of Mont- 
rose. The latter then seized his estate. He secured the friendship 
of the Duke of Argyle and took up arms against Montrose. He 
opposed the union of Scotland with England, and joined the Ja- 
cobite rising in 1715. 

The scenes of this story are laid in the Highlands and in some 
parts of the Lowlands of Scotland. It takes us into the region 
of Loch Lommond, the largest lake in Scotland, a region especially 
famous for the rare beauty of the scenery and that Scott has so 
well described in the Lady of the Lake. 

In the story are combined the affairs of Rob Roy in his deal- 
ings with Montrose, and his raids in carrying off the duke's cat- 
tle, and the Jacobite rising. In the terrific onset of the Highland- 
ers in the battle of Sheriffmuir Rob Roy had command of a body 
of Macphersons as well as his own clansmen and shared in this 
impetuous charge. An Englishman becomes entangled with Ja- 
cobite schemes and plotting in his country and is compelled to 
go to Scotland, and comes into Rob Roy's district. 

Scott's interpretation of the character of Rob Roy is based 
largely upon the popular tradition of Macgregor. "A descendant 
of the bloodthirsty Dugald Ciahr Mohr, Rob had all his ancestor's 
love of the sword and capacity for leadership, without his cruelty. 
His lot was cast in the most ruthless epoch of Scottish history. It 
was an age of semi-barbarism, when the passion for power was 
the main thing, when the pillaging of the industrious Saxon was 
considered the proof of manliness and bravery." 



THE MODERN ERA 319 

Diana Vernon, the brilliant and beautiful mistress of Osbaldi ■ 
stone Hall is "the most attractive and surely-drawn in all Scott's 
gallery of portraits of distinguished women," and it is usually 
conceded that she is peerless among all his heroines. Captain 
Basil Hall believed that he found her original in a Jane Anne 
Craunston, who in her girlhood had been a friend and confidante 
of Scott's. And the fact that "Scott had sent her all the Waverly 
novels as they appeared with the single exception of Rob Roy, all 
seemed to confirm the Captain's suspicions." 

Rob Roy was buried at Balquihidder, and his grave is still 
pointed out, one of the ancient Sculptured Stones of Scotland 
having been placed upon its site. 

Under the Wolf's Fell. 1911. Dorothea Moore 

This story deals with the same period of the Jacobite rising, 
in which a boy is used by the Jacobites in furthering their schemes. 
Sir Robert Walpole, who had been closely related with the affairs 
of state, and was a leader of the Whig opposition, became prime 
minister at the beginning of George's reign, figures in this story. 
Lord Derwentwater, a grandson of Charles II, was deeply im- 
plicated in the Jacobite rebellion. He was executed when the 
rebellion was put down at the age of twenty-eight. It was under 
him and Forster that the rising took place in the north of England. 
These, together with the king, have a place in the story. 

Other stories : 

Dorothy Forster (1884), by Walter Besant, in which the writer 
of the history of the Forster family and the events of that day is 
the brother of the leader of the Jacobite forces. 

Devereux (1829), by Bulwer-Lytton, which introduces many 
historical personages in the literary realm — Pope, Swift, Steele, 
Addison — while Bolingbroke holds a leading place. 

To Arms! (1898), by Andrew Balfour. The indecisive battle 
of Sheriffmuir is set forth, and the Pretender is introduced. 

Lucy Arden (1859), by James Grant, gives the facts of the 
rebellion. The hero participates in the rising, and is fortunate 
enough not to be captured, or be among those who were executed, 
and finally wins and marries his lady love. 



320 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Madamscourt. 1901. H. May Poynter 

When the rising of the Jacobites occurred Bolingbroke was 
the secretary of James Edward Stuart, the Old Pretender. The 
treaty of Utrecht required that the Pretender be expelled from 
France, and he removed to Bar in Lorraine. Bolingbroke had 
advised against the rising by the Earl of Mar in Scotland and 
when James returned he blamed Bolingbroke for the failure of 
the revolt and dismissed him. 

James was betrothed to Clementina Sobieski, grand-daughter 
of John Sobieski, king of Poland. On her way to Rome, whither 
James had gone, she was arrested by the Emperor and made a 
prisoner. She escaped from Austria and married the Pretender. 

These events are detailed by this story. 

For the White Rose. 1903. Wymond Carey 

The battle of Sheriffmuir and the defeat of the Jacobites at 
Preston did not bring to an end the attempts to bring about a 
Stuart restoration. This was attempted by Charles XII of 
Sweden and Alberoni, the Spanish minister. In 1719 the latter 
fitted out an expedition to attack England. James was publicly 
received in Spain. The expedition under Ormonde was broken 
up in the Bay of Biscay. In the battle of Glenshiel in 1719, when 
an invasion was made under the Duke of Ormonde, Rob Roy 
participated in the battle. The defeat of the Duke terminated for 
a long time the efforts of the Stuart partisans. 

This spreading of Jacobite intrigues to these countries, and 
the operations of Alberoni are set forth in this story. 

Other stories: 

The Rose-Spinner (1904), by Mary Deane, which combines 
the two events of this period — the failure of the Jacobites in the 
last attempt just noted, and the interest that attached to the South 
Sea Company. 

Clementina (1901), by A. E. W. Mason, in which are detailed 
the relations of the Princess Clementina to the Pretender, and the 
strange position in which the man who loves her is placed in effect- 
ing her marriage with James. 



THE MODERN ERA 321 

The Lion's Skin. 1911. Rafael Sabatini 

In 171 1 the South Sea Company was organized in England 
and given the exclusive right to trade in the South Sea. This 
company assumed the national debt of ten million pounds and 
was to receive an interest of six per cent. So great was the con- 
fidence of the people in this company that its stock rose, and 
shares were finally quoted at 1,000. Within ten years the national 
debt had reached thirty million pounds, which the South Sea 
Company assumed. The success of the scheme developed such 
a spirit of speculation that the public rushed in to secure stock. 
Landowners, clergymen, widows were seized with the fever and 
invested all they had. Then a number of the directors of the 
company began to dispose of their shares. This created distrust. 
A panic set in. All were now anxious to sell. In a month the 
South Sea Company's own stock fell from 1,000 to 175. The 
ruin was widespread and extended throughout the nation. 

The confusion created in England by this "Bubble" seemed 
auspicious for a Jacobite conspiracy. Francis Atterbury, Bishop 
of Rochester, who refused to sign the bishop's declaration of 
fidelity and earning thereby the dislike of George I, began in 171 7 
to correspond directly with the Pretender. He was forced to 
leave England and went to France, and was the adviser of the 
Pretender. In 1721 a Jacobite plot was concocted by five persons 
— Atterbury, the Earls of Arran and Orrery, Lord North and 
Lord Gower. They planned to seize the Bank, Exchequer and 
other places where large amounts of money were held, and pro- 
claim the Pretender king. The leaders were arrested and the 
conspiracy dismally failed. 

These two sets of events, the latter taking advantage of the 
former, are brought out in this story. 

Reign of George II 

George II (1727-1760) shared his father's preference for 
Hanover and aversion for England. Frederick William, king of 
Prussia, characterized him as a comedian because of his everlast- 
ing posing and blustering. He called people by whatever names 
he pleased. When Walpole attempted to appoint officers in the 
army George said to him : "I will order my army as I see fit ; for 



322 HISTORICAL FICTION 

your scoundrels of the House of Commons you may do as you 
please." 

It was during his reign that the growth of the British Empire 
was advanced by the conquest of Canada in the midst of the 
Seven Years' War, and the operations of Clive in India. In giv- 
ing his estimate of the character of George, Lord Stanhope de- 
clared that "he had scarcely one kingly quality, except personal 
courage and justice. Avarice, the most unprincely of all passions, 
sat enshrined in the inmost recesses of his bosom. Business he 
understood and transacted with pleasure. But his reign of thirty- 
one years deserves this praise, that it never once invaded the rights 
of the nation, nor harshly enforced the prerogative of the crown ; 
that its last period was illumined by the glories of Wolfe and of 
Chatham ; and that it left the dynasty secure, the constitution un- 
impaired, and the people prosperous." 

The Stories 
The Heart of Midlothian. 1818. Sir Walter Scott 

A smuggler by the name of Wilson was hanged at Edinburgh 
in 1736. It created a riot, and Captain Porteous, of the City 
Guard, ordered his men to fire on the rioters. Several of them 
were killed. For this act Porteous was tried and condemned to 
death, but was reprieved by the government. The enraged popu- 
lace carried out the sentence by seizing and hanging him. The 
city was forced to pay to the captain's widow $7,500. 

It was the opinion of John Ruskin that "The Heart of Midlo- 
thian" and "Rob Roy" were the best of all the Waverly Novels. 
This story describes the scenes in Edinburgh connected with the 
Porteous Riot. 

Effie Deans, the daughter of Davie Deans, a poor cowfeeder at 
Edinburgh, has been seduced by George Staunton, the wayward 
son of the rector of Willingham, and she is imprisoned for child 
murder. Her half-sister, Jeanie Deans, to save Effie's life, walked 
from Edinburgh to London to appeal to Queen Caroline. She 
enlisted the sympathy and support of the Duke of Argyle, who 
introduced her to the queen. This act placed him in a difficult 
position as he was not just then standing high in the queen's favor, 
having opposed the seven measures against Edinburgh following 
the Porteous Riot. But the queen received him and Jeanie Deans, 



THE MODERN ERA 323 

listened to her appeal and granted a pardon for her half-sister. 
The queen was at that time acting as Queen Regent during the 
absence of George on the Continent. Following the pardon Effie 
marries George Staunton, but spent her widowhood, after living 
for a time in the fashionable world, in a convent. 

This story of Jeanie Deans' heroism, according to Scott him- 
self, is founded on fact. The prototype in real life of Jeanie 
Deans was Helen Walker (1712-1791), the daughter of a small 
farmer in the parish of Irongray, Dumfriesshire. The very day 
of her sister's condemnation she got a petition drawn up and after- 
wards walked the whole distance to London barefoot. There, 
with the help of John, Duke of Argyle, she secured a pardon. 
One of the last acts of Scott's life was to raise a tombstone to her 
memory in Irongray churchyard. 

Blackwood's Magazine of August, 1871, commenting upon 
this story considered that Jeanie Deans was "the cream and per- 
fection of Scott's work." It describes the qualities of Jeanie's 
character in presenting the petition to the queen : "There is not 
one scene in which this high valor of the heart, this absolute good- 
ness, fails her; nor is there one in which she departs ever so 
little from the lowliness of her-beginning. She is as little daunted 
by the Duke and the Queen as she is by the other difficulties she 
has met and surmounted with that tremulous timidity of courage 
which belongs to nerves highly strung ; nay, she has even a certain 
modest pleasure in the society of these potentates, her simple soul 
meeting them with awe, yet with absolute frankness ; making no 
commonplace attempt at equality." 

The Infidel. 1900. Mary E. Braddon 

The two brothers, John (1703-1791) and Charles (1708-1788) 
Wesley, were born at Epworth, England. Their father was the 
rector of the parish. They were both educated at Christ Church, 
Oxford. John became a fellow of Lincoln College, and lecturer 
and moderator in classics. In the university the two brothers, 
together with some companions, formed an organization for the 
purpose of religious thought and conversation. From the regu- 
larity of their habits they were called "Methodists." 

In 1735 General Oglethorpe proposed that they go to Georgia, 
America, and preach to the colonists. They did so, and after 



324 HISTORICAL FICTION 

three years returned to England. John then visited Herrnhut, 
the Moravian settlement. Open-air preaching began in 1739, in 
which the Wesley s were joined by George Whitfield. In their 
preaching they laid special emphasis on the doctrine of justifica- 
tion by faith alone. As an itinerant preacher John Wesley would 
ride many miles during the day, and preach four and five times. 
It is said that as many as 30,000 people would wait for hours for 
him to come. 

The Wesleys never formally separated from the Church of 
England. They firmly maintained the principle of episcopacy. 
Charles Wesley contributed greatly to the success of their work 
by his numerous hymns. The works of John Wesley, published 
after his death, consist of thirty-two octavo volumes. His mar- 
riage with Mrs. Vizelle was an incompatible affair and they finally 
separated. 

George Whitfield (1 714-1770) became acquainted with the 
Wesleys at Oxford and joined their religious society. In 1738 he 
came to America, and his preaching in Georgia was attended with 
success. He returned to America and established an orphanage, 
and preached to immense audiences with marked effect. He 
traveled extensively through England, Scotland and Wales preach- 
ing, and in Lanarkshire he created one of the greatest revivals of 
modern times. 

This English novelist (1837-) was born in London. The story 
that won for her her first great success was Lady Aadley's Secret. 
A little over fifty years ago her writings were criticised as sensa- 
tional and not always of a "proper" type. There was no good 
ground, however, for this criticism. She has written extensively. 

This is a story of this new revivalism under the Wesleys and 
Whitfield, which became a new force, having a profound effect 
upon the life and thought of the time. The heroine is deeply 
affected by the work of these revivalists, and after the death of 
her husband devotes her time and efforts to religious activities. 

The Coming of the Preachers. 1901. John Ackworth 

The preaching of the Wesleys from place to place did not 
always evoke only sympathy and enthusiasm ; their meetings often 
met with bitter opposition, riot and violence. 



THE MODERN ERA 325 

This story is a picture of the clash between these spiritual 
forces and the irreligious life out of sympathy with spiritual ideals 
in a town of England. There are, however, always those who 
are susceptible to the appeals of religion, and in this story this 
class is influenced by the Wesleys, and religious interests are 
organized. 

Other stories: 

The Two-Handed Sword (1909), ty Frank Ormerod, in which 
the two agitations, the political (Jacobite) and the religious are 
operative. 

Diary of Mrs. Kitty Trevelyn (1864), by Elizabeth Charles, 
describing the conditions, morally and religiously, in connection 
with the revival movement. 

The Messenger (1907), by F. F. Moore, a description of John 
Wesley, the preacher and the man. 

The Eveshams (1902), by J. B. Patton, which illustrates other 
results of the Wesley movement from the domestic point of view. 



The Kidnapped Regiment. 1911. Robert Leighton 

The second Jacobite uprising occurred in 1745. It was a time 
when Europe was in a state of conflict and agitation. Frederick 
II of Prussia seized Silesia ; France and Spain formed an alliance 
against Maria Theresa, who had come to the rule of the Austrian 
dominions. She was aided by George II and defeated the French 
at Dettingen. At Fontenoy the British were defeated by Saxe. 

In the midst of these conflicts Charles Edward, grandson of 
James II, known as the "Young Pretender," landed in the High- 
lands of Scotland for the purpose of seizing the throne and re- 
storing the Stuart rule. At Preston-Pans he defeated General 
Cope, who commanded the Royalist forces. London was thrown 
into a panic, and when the Pretender invaded England George II 
prepared to leave for the Continent. The king's son, the Duke 
of Cumberland, met the Pretender on Culloden Moor (1746). 
"This time the Highland charge failed, and Cumberland won the 
name of 'Butcher' by the awful slaughter that followed ; even the 
wounded were massacred. There were executions for treason, 
and England in the end came successfully out of the war. The 
Stuart cause was finally wrecked." 



326 HISTORICAL FICTION 

This is a story of this Jacobite rising. The hero joins the 
expedition and witnesses the crushing defeat of the Young Pre- 
tender at Culloden. 

Waverley. 1814. Sir Walter Scott 

Captain Edward Waverley is the titular hero of Scott's first 
novel of this series, whose "blue eye seemed of that kind which 
melted in love and which kindled in war." He was of a fickle 
nature, determined by circumstances, whether he should fight for 
the king or become a rebel in support of the Pretender. The 
same was true in his love affairs, for he easily resigned himself 
to his failure to win Flora Mclvor, and became satisfied with a 
lesser personality, Rose Bradwardine. Scott himself declared 
that the Captain was a failure. "The hero," he says to a friend, 
"is a sneaking piece of imbecility, and if he had married Flora 
she would have set him up on the chimney-piece as Count Boro- 
laski's wife used to do with him. I am a bad hand at depicting 
a hero properly so called, and have an unfortunate propensity for 
the dubious characters of Borderers, buccaneers, Highland rob- 
bers, and all others of a Robin Hood description." 

The prototype of the Baron of Bradwardine, as Crockett points 
out, "was Alexander Stewart of Invernahyle, on whose valor and 
magnanimity at Preston-pans the plot of Waverley is made to 
turn. To Invernahyle Scott owed much of his knowledge of 
Highland life and scenery. He was 'that friend of my childhood 
who first introduced me to the Highlands, their traditions and 
manners/ " 

The character Fergus Mclvor, is a gallant Highland Jacobite 
of the passionate and uncompromising type. He was the brother 
of Flora Mclvor, loved by Waverley. Like her brother, she 
is a devoted Catholic, and absolutely loyal to the house of Stuart. 
Her parting with Waverley is a touching scene, after which she 
enters the convent in Paris. 

Colonel Kate. 1908. Kathleen and Letitia Mont- 
gomery 

Simon Fraser Lovat (i6yo-iy4y) in 1717 supported the Gov- 
ernment in the Jacobite rebellion, for which he received the family 
estates. In the rebellion of 1745 he declared himself to be a loyal 



THE MODERN ERA 327 

subject and posed as a loyalist, but gave his clan to fight for the 
Jacobite cause and in support of the Young Pretender. When his 
treachery was discovered he was beheaded. 

The story is woven about the intrigues of Lovat, working 
both parties to his personal gains. Kate Bristow is a supporter 
of the Stuart restoration. The rebellion is followed to the battle 
of Culloden, in which the cause of the Pretender is thoroughly 
crushed. 

The Lone Adventurer. 1911. Halliwell Sutcliffe 

After the battle of Culloden the Young Pretender was in a 
precarious situation and to escape would require the greatest 
shrewdness. It was Flora Macdonald, a lady of South Uist, who 
came to his assistance. By disguising him in woman's clothes he 
played the part of her maidservant. She possessed remarkable 
resourcefulness, and succeeded in getting him to the Isle of Skye, 
from which point he escaped to France. For this service Flora 
Macdonald was imprisoned in the Tower until 1747. After that 
she married and came to America, but finally returned to Scot- 
land. 

The story is a description of the conditions created by the 
rebellion of 1745, and the manner in which opinions were divided 
between the two causes. It portrays the masterful escape of 
Charles Stuart by Flora Macdonald, and their experiences in the 
Isle of Skye. 

The Hearth of Hutton. 1906. W. J. Eccott 

The battle of Falkirk in 1746 between the royal troops and 
those of the Jacobites was a victory for the latter. Manchester 
was occupied for a few days by the Young Pretender. 

The manner in which the Pretender was greatly assisted in 
conducting the rebellion by the man of Cumberland, who was 
thoroughly familiar with the lay of the country and the people, 
is brought out in this story. Also the occupation of Manchester 
for a few days, as noted. 

Other stories: 

Bonnie Prince Charlie (1887), by G. A. Henty, in which is 
described the battle of Dettingen two years prior to the Jacobite 



328 HISTORICAL FICTION 

rising of 1745, which was fought during the War of the Austrian 
Succession, and was a victory for George II. Also the battles of 
Preston-pans, Fontenoy and Culloden. 

For the White Rose of Arno (1897), by Owen Rhoscomyl, de- 
scribing the march to Derby, the chief town of Derbyshire, which 
was the farthest point reached by the Young Pretender in 1745. 

For the White Cockade (1905), by J. E. P. Muddock, giving 
the life and activities of the traitor, Lord Lovat, executed for 
his treachery. 

Hills of Home (1906), by Norman Maclean, the royal troops 
searching in the Highlands for Jacobites, and the escape of the 
Pretender. 

Poor Soils of a Day (1902), by Allan McAuley, a story ot 
the bitter effects of the rebellion and the sacrifices endured. 

The Prince's Valet. 1907. J. Barnett 

In the Young Pretender the Jacobite party found a more gal- 
lant leader than in his father, James II. When he landed in Scot- 
land in 1745 he had but seven followers. He was then joined by 
Lachiel and other chieftains. At Culloden his cause was crushed, 
and the age was not favorable to lost causes. Charles, for five 
months, remained hidden in the Hebrides and various places, 
and then returned to France. He visited London in 1750, but 
gave up politics for drink and debauchery. 

This story follows the fortunes of Charles in his wanderings 
*rom place to place after returning to France. It introduces 
Cameron of Lochiel, who was "a gracious master, a trusty ally, 
a terrible enemy." He was one of the most stable adherents of 
James II, and commanded the Camerons at the battle of Killie- 
crankie. After the death of Claverhouse he refused to serve 
under Cannon, the Irish commander. He retired to Lochaber, 
and with the other Highland chiefs took the oath of allegiance 
to William III. 

Fortune's My Foe. 1899. John E. Bloundelle-Burton 

In 1739 England's war with Spain was "Britain's challenge to 
the world for supremacy in America and India." The commercial 
clauses of the treaty of Utrecht gave the English a limited permis- 



THE MODERN ERA 329 

sion to trade in South America, which involved constant disputes 
with Spanish revenue officers and the searching of English vessels, 
and resulted in the war of 1739, the prelude of the more general 
War of Austrian Succession. It continued to be waged until the 
fall of Napoleon. The drift of the times was against peace. 
When the church bells rang because war was begun, Walpole re- 
marked, "They are ringing their bells ; they will soon be wringing 
their hands." 

Reverses were not long in coming. Admiral Vernon, who 
served in the Vigo expedition, and at twenty-four was rear- 
admiral, was sent to the Antilles with a fleet to destroy the Span- 
ish settlements there, but his fleet was not strong enough and he 
failed to seize Porto-Bello. In 1741 he appeared before Cartha- 
gena in the Isthmus of Panama, and met with a disastrous failure. 

The first part of this story relates to this event — the siege of 
Carthagena. It then carries us forward to another great engage- 
ment in 1759, in which a signal victory is won by that intrepid 
British commander, Sir Edward Hawke. This was the battle of 
Quiberon, which was fought between the English and French dur- 
ing the Seven Years' War. Hawke had been blockading the 
French fleet at Brest, which was under the command of De Con- 
flans. The latter saw an opportunity of attacking a few English 
frigates that were cruising about and separated from Hawke's 
fleet. The French were protected by a rocky shore abounding in 
shoals and quicksands. Hawke's pilot advised against sailing 
into such dangerous positions, but Hawke said, "You have done 
your duty in protesting, but now lay me beside the French Ad- 
miral." The English won a decisive victory, losing but forty 
men, while the French lost six vessels. This shattered the French 
naval power for a time, and for this victory the government be- 
stowed upon Hawke a yearly pension of $7,500. 

Like Another Helen. 1899. Sidney C. Grier 

In the month of June, 1756, Surajah Dowlah, the Nawab of 
Bengal, became enraged with the English at Calcutta for conceal- 
ing a fugitive. He came with a force and the town was not well 
fortified. Drake, the governor, slipped away and Mr. Holwell 
was placed in control. For forty-eight hours they held out against 
the assault and were then compelled to surrender. The prisoners, 



330 HISTORICAL FICTION 

numbering 146, were thrust into a narrow room, the prison of the 
garrison, about twenty feet square with scarcely any means for 
ventilation. It was one of the hottest nights in the year. Tortured 
with thrist and suffocation, they struggled for air. The majority 
died in raving madness, and those who survived did so by standing 
on the dead bodies of their companions and getting a little air. 
Twenty-three were alive the next morning. This has been known 
as the Black Hole of Calcutta. 

Robert Clive had distinguished himself in India, and was en- 
trusted with the business of revenging the tragedy, just noted, 
on Surajah Dowlah. He set out with an army of 3,000 and at 
Plassey encountered the Nabob's troops, at the head of whom 
were fifty Frenchmen. The English opened with a heavy can- 
nonading and then charged their lines. The whole army was 
routed. The Nabob was the first to fly, followed by about 2,000 
of his force. Following the battle Surajah Dowlah was assassi- 
nated. Calcutta was reconquered and rebuilt by Clive, who was 
placed at the head of the government. 

In this story these events are in the form of a correspondence 
between two girls. It details the taking of Calcutta and the hor- 
rors of the Black Hole, and the avenging of this crime by Clive in 
the battle of Plassey and the retaking of the city. Warren Hast- 
ings was with Clive at this time, and is introduced into the story. 

Second to None. 1864. James Grant 

Maria Theresa of Austria in a war with Prussia had at last 
been compelled to cede Silesia to Frederick the Great. To recover 
this she formed an alliance with Russia and obtained the support 
of Saxony and Poland. War had broken out between France and 
England, and in order to safeguard his German states George II 
formed an alliance with Prussia. France then formed an alli- 
ance with Austria against Frederick the Great. Thus began the 
Seven Years' War (1756- 1763) between these European states — 
Austria, Russia, France, Poland and Saxony against Prussia and 
Great Britain. In the end, when peace was concluded at Huberts- 
burg, Prussia retained Silesia, while between France and England 
the war crossed the seas and was waged also in America. 

This is a story of this period which describes the battle of 
Minden and gives the experiences of a soldier in the service of 



THE MODERN ERA 331 

the Duke of Cumberland. In this battle (1759) the allies were 
under the command of Ferdinand of Brunswick. Part of his force 
consisted of about 12,000 British under Lord Sackville. The 
French had taken Cassel, Munster and Minden. To lure them 
from their strong position at Minden, Ferdinand left a force 
of 5,000 men apparently unsupported on the right bank of the 
Weser. When the Duke de Broglie made an attack upon them 
he was compelled to draw upon the force at Minden, in which 
the latter was lost and the French were defeated. The story 
abounds in action and stirring adventures. 

The Virginians. 1859. William M. Thackeray 

This noted English writer (1811-1863) was born at Calcutta, 
his father at that time being in the service of the East India Com- 
pany. He was educated at Charterhouse School in Smithfield, 
and spent two years at Trinity College, Cambridge. After writing 
for the Examiner and Fraser's Magazine he became a member of 
the staff of Punch. In Paris in 1855 ne completed The Newcomes. 
He is the author of five great novels and many shorter stories. 

This story, which is the sequel to Henry Esmond, in its histor- 
ical interests ranges from the period of the Seven Years' War, 
the sketch of which is given above, to the War of the American 
Revolution. As already noted, the Seven Years' War as related 
to England and France, crossed the seas to America. William 
Pitt's ambition was to secure to Britain world wide supremacy, 
and to humble France to such a degree as to render impossible 
future rivalry. 

The French had built a ring of forts to connect Louisiana with 
Canada. Of these Fort Duquesne was the most celebrated, sit- 
uated in the upper valley of the Ohio. Edward Braddock in 1754 
was made commander of all British troops in America. In 1756 
he organized an expedition against Fort Duquesne and was joined 
by the Virginian troops. He appointed George Washington his 
aid-de-camp. Benjamin Franklin, who was then postmaster gen- 
eral of the colonies, also joined him. The latter had warned him 
regarding the Indian method of fighting, which Braddock treated 
with contempt. When the Indians started their war-whoop the 
British, who heard it for the first time, were so frightened that 



332 HISTORICAL FICTION 

they fell back. Washington in this crisis issued his instructions, 
knowing the nature of this kind of warfare, and these Braddock 
refused to adopt. The British fired at random into the forest. 
Five horses were killed under Braddock, and he at last was mor- 
tally wounded. The battle became a rout, and Washington con- 
ducted into safety less than half of Braddock's full force. Shortly 
after this ill-fated expedition the English conquered Fort Du- 
quesne and renamed it Fort Pitt, in honor of William Pitt, the 
great War Minister, and when a settlement was formed a few 
years later it became Pittsburgh, which has earned the world- 
famed title, 'The Iron City." 

One of the episodes in the story is the expedition against St. 
Malo in 1758. St. Malo is a seaport of western France. The 
bombardment of this place by the English in 1693 was a failure. 
During a single war the people of St. Malo had seized about 1,500 
vessels, from which were taken much gold and other treasure. 
By the great wealth that came to the ship-owners, both by these 
seizures and the New World, they were able to send the king large 
sums of money by which to finance the celebrated Rio de Janeiro 
expedition in 171 1, and in a similar manner enabled him to con- 
duct the War of the Spanish Succession. They were not so for- 
tunate, however, in the third expedition sent against them by the 
English under the command of Charles Spencer in 1758. In this 
they sustained a heavy loss on the royal shipping in the harbor of 
St. Servan. 

The description of Braddock's foolhardy operations, as noted 
above, is given in the first section of this story. Washington, 
Wolfe and many other historical personages are introduced. Es- 
mond's two grandsons return to England. One of them, a spend- 
thrift, enters the army and leaves the debts he had incurred for 
his brother to pay. When the American Revolution breaks out 
the brothers take opposite sides. Baroness Bernstein is the Bea- 
trix Esmond of Henry Esmond. She is now an old woman and no 
longer retains her beauty of earlier years, but is as loquacious as 
ever, and exhibits her former characteristics. She has survived 
her two husbands, Bishop Tusher and Baron de Bernstein, and has 
had some remarkable adventures. The story deals largely with 
fashionable life in England of this period. The character sketches 
of the Lamberts are well drawn. 



THE MODERN ERA 333 

Reign of George III 

George (1760-1820), the grandson of George II, whose father 
died in 1751, was trained in Anti-Whig principles, and upon his 
accession proceeded to break up the Whig Houses. Pitt was 
shorn of power. In 1770 he appointed Lord North as Prime Min- 
ister, and for twelve years the crown was supreme and North was 
nothing more than a passive tool in the hands of the king. They 
were years of disaster and disgrace both at home and abroad. 
It was the period of American Independence, which, by a policy 
of coercion, was the loss to England of her American colonies. 
Thus the years of his reign were filled with great events : the 
Wilkes Controversy, the American Revolution, the French Revo- 
lution, the struggle with Napoleon, the Irish Rebellion of 1798. 
Five years before the conflict with Napoleon came to an end his 
mind gave way and his son governed as regent for the last ten 
years of his reign. "Though in politics George was vindictive and 
stooped to the treachery of setting rival leaders against each other 
by a malicious use of statements made in the confidence of the 
royal closet, in his private relations he was strict in morals, simple 
in tastes and pre-eminently an English gentleman of the better 
type." 

The Stories 
The Fate of Father Sheehy. 1845. Mrs. James Sadlier 

This Canadian author (1820-1903) was born in Cootchill, Ire- 
land, and wrote Irish historical novels. That by which she is 
probably best known is The Confederate Chieftains. She also 
translated works of a devotional nature. 

In the middle of the eighteenth century the Whiteboy move- 
ment resulted from the burdens laid upon the Irish people and 
was especially strong in Tipperary and Limerick. In 1760 an 
attempt was made to crush it by the use of troops. The move- 
ment was led by Captain Danger, as he called himself. Volun- 
teers were now organized to suppress the operations of the White- 
boys, which was accomplished for a time by the execution of a 
priest, Father Sheehy, charged with murder. The movement, 
some years later, reappeared in Munster, opposed the payment of 
tithes, disarmed the Protestants and committed all manner of 
outrages. 



334 HISTORICAL FICTION 

This story deals with this movement, and particularly with the 
priest referred to, Father Sheehy, who became entangled with 
their doings, and after being twice tried was executed. 

Knights of the Road. 1907. Evelyn Everett-Green 

In the last quarter of the eighteenth century the condition of 
the English prisons attracted the attention of the distinguished 
philanthropist, John Howard (1726- 1790). He traveled exten- 
sively over Europe and at the age of thirty started for Lisbon, 
but was captured by a French privateer and held in captivity for 
a time. In 1773 he became interested in the prison system, and 
examined in person the prisons of the countries of the Continent. 
He then published a statement on "The State of the Prisons in 
England and Wales," exposing the existing abuses. It brought 
the public to attention, led to careful investigation and important 
reforms regarding these institutions. In 1774, as the result of 
Howard's work, an act was passed providing that every prisoner 
against whom the Grand Jury failed to find a true bill should be 
immediately released. 

The philanthropic activities of Howard relative to prison con- 
ditions in England are set forth in this story. It deals especially 
with Newgate, a celebrated prison in London. The name is de- 
rived from its location, being at the new gate of the city. It dates 
back to the twelfth century, but was rebuilt a number of times. 
From the number of prominent men confined there on political 
or religious grounds historic interest has always attached to this 
prison. It was finally demolished in 1902. 

Held Fast for England. 1892. George A. Henty 

In 1779 was begun the siege of the great fortress Gibraltar by 
a combined force of Spaniards and French which lasted until 
1783, a siege almost unparalleled in the annals of ancient or 
modern warfare. The governor of the fortress was George Elliot, 
afterwards Lord Heathfield. To hold Gibraltar for over three 
years against such an unusual siege taxed Elliot's abilities and 
resources to the utmost. So certain were the French of its fall 
that the capture of the fortress was exhibited on the Paris stage. 
With such skill and fortitude did the governor meet the occasion 
that he has gone down into history as "having maintained the most 



THE MODERN ERA 335 

stubborn defence of modern warfare." For this gallant and val- 
uable service he was raised to the peerage as Baron Heathfield. 
In 1790 he was about to set out again for Gibraltar, when he 
died of paralysis. 

Henty's story describes this great siege, detailing the facts 
and conditions of this event. Another story dealing with the same 
instance is by Molly E. Seawell — The Rock of the Lion (1898). 
It is also an episode in the story As It Happened, by H. M. Wallis. 

The Great Proconsul. 1904. Sidney C. Grier 

In 1750 Warren Hastings (1732-1818) went to Bengal as a 
writer for the East India Company. In Clive's campaign of 1757 
he rendered able service, and after the battle of Plassey he be- 
came a member of the council at Madras, and in 1772 was made 
Governor of Bengal. In this capacity he began a system of re- 
forms. In the following year he became the first Governor- 
General of India. By the same Act Sir Philip Francis was sent 
to Bengal as a member of the council. Animated by prejudice, he 
headed the opposition to Hastings, which lessened the power of 
the latter by keeping him in the minority. A Brahmin, Nuncomar, 
brought a charge against Hastings and the latter had him arrested 
for forgery. Sir Elijah Impey, the Chief Justice, tried and hung 
the Brahmin, which gave Hastings a great victory over his ene- 
mies, and he secured the majority of the council. 

With these difficulties removed he now set to work to secure 
the supremacy of English power in India. In 1780 Madras was 
threatened by Hyder AH. Hastings placed Sir Eyre Coote in 
command of all the troops, and his victories restored the English 
position. In order to raise the large sums of money necessary 
for his campaigns Hastings resorted to questionable methods. 
When he returned to England India was in a state of peace, the 
revenues were on a firm basis and all affairs of government were 
directed by the English. 

Sir Philip Francis also returned to England in 1781 and, 
entering Parliament, he joined the opposition headed by Burke for 
the impeachment of Hastings. The trial dragged along for seven 
years and Hastings was acquitted. 

This story is a history of Hastings' labors in India as set forth 
above. It sets forth the opposition and prejudice and motives 



336 HISTORICAL FICTION 

of Sir Philip Francis. The Chief Justice, Elijah Impey, and Hast- 
ings' general, Coote, and other historical personages are intro- 
duced. 

Barnaby Rudge. 1841. Charles Dickens 

Of all the popular risings of the Eighteenth century the Gor- 
don Riots are considered the most formidable. In 1778 Sir George 
Savile introduced a bill for the modification of the penal laws 
against Catholics, which was supported almost unanimously by 
both Houses. At once associations led by Lord George Gordon 
were formed in Scotland protesting against the bill, and the agita- 
tion spread to England. A body of 50,000 met in St. George's 
Fields, and a great mob forced their way into the House, which 
then adjourned. The mob then began the work of destruction. 
They tore down buildings, pillaged the house of Savile, broke 
open the Newgate prison and released the prisoners, also the pris- 
oners of Clerkenwell. Lord Mansfield's house with its priceless 
library was burned. The king insisted on immediate action, and 
the troops were ordered to put an end to the riot. When the 
rioters were dispersed there were 200 dead on the streets, and 
more than that wounded. Twenty-one were executed. Gordon 
became a convert to Judaism, and died a prisoner in Newgate. 

The author (1812-1870), one of the great English novelists 
of the Victorian Age, was born at Portsmouth. He received a 
limited education, and after working as a clerk in an attorney's 
office became a newspaper reporter and finally a contributor to 
the magazines, in which his tales were published. In 1845 ne 
went to Italy, and when he returned Pictures From Italy was 
published. In the latter years of his life he gave readings from 
his own writings, which greatly increased his popularity. One of 
his most marked characteristics was his dramatic ability. Pos- 
sessed of a social temperament, he was delighted to have his 
friends about him. Some of his stories struck heavy blows at 
existing systems and abuses of the time as in the case of Oliver 
Twist, which exposed the abuses of the work-house system, and 
Nicholas Nickleby, which brought into light the manner in which 
cheap boarding schools were managed. Much of his work con- 
stituted him a social reformer. In his novels "his world is that 
of the common people, and his ample and vivid representation of 
their character and life is one of the chief causes of his immense 



THE MODERN ERA 337 

popularity. The service he thus rendered the masses was in accord 
with the democratic spirit of the times." 

This story gives a striking description of the Gordon Riots, 
or "No Popery" riots, as sometimes called. Barnaby's father was 
the murderer of Haredale and also the latter's servant, to whom 
the crime was attributed. He levied blackmail on Barnaby's 
mother and joined the Gordon rioters. Barnaby is a half-witted 
lad dressed in tawdry finery, and is the titular hero. His insepa- 
rable companion is a parrot that he carries in a basket that would 
call out, "I'm a devil," and "Never say die !" During the riots it 
learned the war cry of the mob, "No Popery!" Barnaby, for 
the sake of carrying a flag and wearing a blue bow, joined the 
rioters. He was lodged in Newgate and made his escape when 
the prison was burned, but both he and his father were recap- 
tured, tried and condemned to death. By the influence of Varden, 
Barnaby was pardoned. George Gordon, the leader of the riots, 
is a prominent figure in the story. 

The Surgeon's Daughter. 1827. Sir Walter Scott 

This story belongs to the time of Tippoo Sultan, the son of 
Hyder Ali, founder of the Mohammedan kingdom of Mysore. He 
served under his father during the first Mysore war, and after 
his father's death carried the war to a successful issue, and in 
1784 concluded with the English the treaty of Mangalore. He 
devoted his energies to three things : the conversion of his subjects 
to Mohammedanism, the better organization of his army and the 
building of foundries at Seringapatam for the construction of 
cannon and other firearms. 

In this story Tippoo Sultan confers upon a man the gover- 
norship of a city, for which he is required to bring to India the 
girl he loves with the understanding that they are to be married, 
but when she arrives he sells her to Tippoo Sultan. 

Highland Mary. 1906. Clayton Mackenzie Legge 

Robert Burns (1759- 1796), the greatest and most essentially 
Scottish of Scotland's poets, was born about two miles from Ayr, 
and not far from "Bonnie Doon," and Auld Alloway Kirk. His 
father was a deeply religious man, and an admirable portraiture 
of him has been left by his illustrious son in The Cotter's Saturday 
Night. Robert's education was limited; he was trained in the 



338 HISTORICAL FICTION 

ordinary branches, but he gained most of his knowledge from 
general reading, and thus nourished the poetic instinct that was 
essentially a part of his nature. 

His father died in 1784 and Robert and his brother, Gilbert, 
secured a small farm at Mossgiel, and here he began to write 
poems, which at once attracted attention. His songs and poems, 
struck off at white heat, are instinct with human feeling, and 
go at once to the heart. He carried a book in his pocket to study 
in spare moments in the fields, and thus tried his utmost to raise 
himself above his condition. 

It was a constant struggle with poverty, and troubles came 
apace. "The master-mason, Armour, whose daughter was Burns' 
sweetheart, was said to contemplate prosecuting him to obtain 
a guarantee for the support of his expected progeny, though he 
refused to accept him as a son-in-law." Jean Armour abandoned 
him ; he could not give his name to her child. This unhappy love 
affair decided him to go to Jamaica, but at that time a book of his 
poems attracted such favorable attention that he was invited to 
come to Edinburgh. There he was received and admired and re- 
turned with $2,500, and took a farm near Dumfries, and here he 
brought Jean Armour, whom he had married shortly before. 

Burns always was in love. His brother, Gilbert, said, "He 
was constantly the victim of some fair enslaver." He had troubles 
of his own : "enamored of Jean Armour, then on her refusal en- 
gaged to another, then returning to Jean, then quitting her, then 
taking her back, amidst much scandal, many blots on his character, 
still more disgust." At the age of thirty-eight the great lyric poet 
of Scotland died a pauper. The poet of humanity, he has touched 
the deepest feelings of the human soul, and has breathed into our 
life the noblest sentiments of truth and love. 

This story brings out the love affairs of the poet, his relations 
with Jean Armour and portrays the beauty of character of Mary 
Campbell. As already noted he was greatly disturbed by the con- 
sequences of his love affair with Jean. Under compulsion he had 
given her a written certificate that she was his wife, but who had 
been induced to repudiate him. He loved Mary Campbell de- 
votedly. She died of a fever, and was commemorated by some of 
his most pathetic poems — "To Mary in Heaven" and "Highland 
Mary." 



CHAPTER VI 

FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE FRENCH 

REVOLUTION TO THE ACCESSION OF 

QUEEN VICTORIA 

PERIOD OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION 

While America was passing through her Revolutionary Period 
the conditions were being established in France that were to issue 
in the French Revolution. These two great events, so close to- 
gether, were destined to exert a far-reaching influence upon the 
history of the world. It marks an era in the development of the 
modern world. Richelieu had laid the groundwork for the abso- 
lutism of Louis XIV. But absolute government implies the pos- 
session and exercise of an irresponsible power, which does not 
permit the freedom of the governed. When the French mind was 
brought to a true perception of the existing social conditions by 
the work of the more enlightened, the revolution was the result. 

When the French Revolution broke out England had just 
passed through the struggle with her American colonies and lost 
them, and remained in a state of war and unrest during the period 
of the revolution, and was to continue so until the close of the 
Napoleonic era. These were dark days and restless times, the 
nations in a great struggle against injustice and tyranny, and the 
demand for freedom and the realization of a larger individuality. 

The fiction bearing on the American Revolution will be taken 
up in the American section of our study, and that dealing with the 
French Revolution belongs to France. 

The Stories 
God's Providence House. 1865. Mrs. G. L. Banks 

The French Revolution extended from 1789 to 1799. W T e are 
still in the reign of George III, which continued until 1820. In 
1 810 his mind gave way and his son acted as his regent. 

This story is concerned with the growing sentiment in England 
relative to the emancipation of slaves. Up to this time there had 

339 



340 HISTORICAL FICTION 

been no positive enactment regarding this institution of slavery. 
Thus when Lord Mansfield in 1772 in the case of the negro Som- 
erset, rendered his decision that slavery could not exist in England, 
it rested upon no legal basis, and simply expressed the public 
opinion of the time. 

About ten years after the Mansfield decision the abolition 
movement was started by Thomas Clarkson. In this he was 
greatly assisted by the Society of Friends, and by individuals such 
as Zackary Macaulay, the father of the historian, and especially 
Wilberforce. The latter in 1792 secured the support of Pitt and 
the House of Commons passed a bill for the gradual suppression 
of the slave traffic. A missionary, John Smith, labored among the 
slaves, and the complaint was raised regarding him that "to ad- 
dress a promiscuous audience of colored people, bond and free, 
by the endearing appellation of 'my brethren and sisters' is what 
can nowhere be heard except in Providence Chapel." The mis- 
sionary died in prison, which gave great impetus to the abolition 
movement. In 1833 the great Emancipation Act was passed. To 
compensate the planters for their loss by this Act the British 
Government paid them $100,000,000. 

A Business in Great Waters. 1899. Julian Corbett 

The author (1854-), an English barrister and man of letters, 
was born in Surrey. He was educated at Trinity College, Cam- 
bridge, and after his graduation practiced law until 1882. He 
became the special correspondent of the Pall Mall Gazette on the 
Dongola expedition in 1896. In 1903 he lectured on English his- 
tory at Oxford. 

In 1793 began the great war of England against the French 
Revolution, and continued with but two slight breaks until the 
fall of Napoleon in 181 5. In its first stage it was a war of re- 
actionary propaganda, which would make no peace with a "regi- 
cide" Directory. 

The Quiberon expedition (1795) was undertaken to assist the 
Royalist insurgents of La Vendee and Brittany, and consisted 
largely of French royalist refugees. It landed at the peninsula 
of Quiberon. At this point a great number of Chouans joined 
the expedition. They captured the fort at Penthievre, which was 



THE MODERN ERA 341 

recaptured by the Republican general, Hoche, and the invaders, 
with the exception of about 900, were annihilated. 

This event is one of the chief interests in this story, which 
deals with the early period of the war with France. The name 
"Chouans" was given to bands of the royalist peasantry of Brit- 
tany, irregular troops, who waged a petty warfare against the 
republican government. 

Kathleen Mavourneen. 1898. Randal McDonnell 

This story has its setting in the events of the Irish Rebellion 
of 1798. Demands were made to the Government and great con- 
cessions were granted. Nearly all commercial restraints were 
removed; a limited Mutiny Act and a Habeas Corpus Act were 
enacted; the Test Act was repealed; bills for the relief of the 
Catholics were carried. Two grievances, however, remained : 
Parliamentary Reform and Catholic Emancipation. It was to 
secure these that the Society of United Irishmen was formed. 
When Lord Fitzwilliam, a known friend of the Catholics, was 
appointed Viceroy, it seemed that every demand would be met, 
and the expectations of the Catholics seemed about to be fulfilled. 
But the Viceroy was suddenly recalled, and then came the re- 
bellion. 

Theobald Wolfe Tone (1763-1798) was the founder of the 
Society of United Irishmen, established to secure reforms and 
Catholic Emancipation, and these as a part of the more general 
purpose to secure the "rights of man." He was trained in Trin- 
ity College, Dublin. He thoroughly sympathized with the French 
Revolution. He was arrested and agreed to go to America, which 
he did, taking his family with him. In 1797 he went to France 
to stimulate the French to aid Ireland and if possible to organize 
an invasion, and he was assured that this would be done and be 
placed under the command of Hoche. The first expedition, con- 
sisting of 43 vessels, started, but was driven back by a storm. A 
second expedition met with foul weather and confronted a supe- 
rior fleet under Admiral Duncan, and at this point Hoche died. 
When the Irish Rebellion broke out in 1798 a French fleet sailed 
for Ireland. It met an English squadron off Lough Swilly and 
was defeated. The vessel Tone was on struck its colors, and he 
was made a prisoner. He was tried and condemned for high trea- 



342 HISTORICAL FICTION 

son. He demanded that he be shot and not hung. This was 
denied him, and while in prison he tried to hang himself and only 
partly succeeded, but died in great agony from the results of the 
attempt. 

These facts bearing on the circumstances of the rebellion and 
Tone's going to America are set forth in this story. It also de- 
scribes the battle of New Ross (1799), when General Johnston, 
with a force of 1,400 men defeated a body of 30,000 rebels, and 
prevented them from marching on Dublin. It also contains the 
operations and capture of Fitzgerald. Lord Edward Fitzgerald 
was a member of the Irish Parliament. He went to the Conti- 
nent, met Hoche and determined upon a French invasion. He kept 
up a steady correspondence with France which was communi- 
cated to Pitt. He was seized but made his escape. A reward of 
$5,000 was offered for his capture. He was betrayed and in being 
seized was shot and died from the wound. Plans for the taking 
of Dublin and the Seal of the United Irishmen were found on him. 

Other stories: 

The House in the Rath (1886) by James Murphy, giving 
Tone's correspondence with Paris, and Fitzgerald plays a part. 

The Shan Van Vocht (1883) by James Murphy, which carries 
forward the operations of Tone to the sailing of the expedition, 
as given in the sketch, and the defeat of the fleet at Lough Swilly. 

Maurice Tiernay (1852) by Charles Lever, giving the attempts 
of the French expedition and the capture and death of Tone. 

The Tiger of Mysore. 1895. George A. Henty 

During this period England's attention was again called to 
India. Seringapatam was the capital of the State of Mysore, the 
realm of Tippoo Sultan. He was defeated in 1791 by Lord Corn- 
wallis. He now organized a series of intrigues through India 
and Europe for the destruction of the English in which France 
was involved. The whole plot was revealed by a proclamation 
by M. Malartie, the French governor of the Mauritus, before the 
scheme was completed. Lord Wellesley started operations at 
once. When the English forces were ready to attack the breach 
the signal was given, and in the face of the most desperate resist- 
ance, within seven minutes the British colors were flying over 



THE MODERN ERA 343 

the breach. The column moving in two divisions reached the 
Mysore gate and stormed the inner ramparts. It created a stam- 
pede, and in the flight Tippoo Sultan was slain. Within a few 
hours this garrison, containing 20,000 troops and 287 pieces of 
artillery and having all the munitions of war, fell, and as Sir 
John Malcolm declared, "all our labors were crowned by the com- 
pletest victory that ever crowned the British annals in India. A 
state that had been the rival of the East India Company for nearly 
thirty years was on that day wholly annihiliated." And whatever 
plans Napoleon may have had through the intrigues of Tippoo 
were utterly crushed. 

Henty has given us in this novel the story of this war, and the 
final capture of Seringapatam. The same events are set forth in 
their wide bearings in The Last Empire by Captain Charles Gilson. 

Jcnes of the 64th. 1907. Captain Frederick S. 
Brereton 

The battle of Assay e was fought in 1803 during the Mahratta 
War designed to reduce the Peishwa to the position of a depend- 
ent on the English government, and to establish Scindia, Holkar 
and the Rajah of Berar as independent sovereigns. General Wel- 
lesley had an army of 4,500 against the army of Scindia and the 
Rajah of Berar. The latter was strongly entrenched. Wellesley 
led his men to the very muzzles of the guns which were pouring 
an incessant fire. The indomitable courage of the British troops 
bore down all resistance and the enemy gave way and fled. Five 
weeks after this victory General Lake encountered the disciplined 
battalions of the same enemy. The Sepoys held their position to 
the last, and only retired when all their guns were captured. This 
was the battle of Laswaree. 

These engagements are set forth in this story detailing the 
great success of the British troops in these two battles. In G. A. 
Henty's story, At the Point of the Bayonet (1901), these battles 
are of chief interest together with the battle of Bhurtpore. This 
was a fortress and town eight miles in circumference and well for- 
tified. It was garrisoned by 8,000 troops of Bhurtpore and the 
remnant of Holkar's infantry. Improperly provisioned for a 
siege and attack General Lake made four assaults and was com- 
pelled to withdraw. 



344 HISTORICAL FICTION 

By Conduct and Courage. 1904. George A. Henty 

This story deals with memorable events of the war with Spain 
in the year 1797. The admiral of the Spanish fleet of 2.7 ships 
being informed that the English fleet under Jervis consisted of 
but nine ships decided to attack him. Nelson joined the English 
fleet at Cape St. Vincent having sighted the Spanish fleet on the 
way. The next morning, before the Spaniards could form in line, 
the British struck, and by a rapid movement Jervis cut off nine 
vessels which took to flight. Nelson prevented the main body of 
the fleet from connecting with these nine vessels. The most im- 
portant part of the Spanish fleet was captured, and so decisive 
was the victory that for some time the Spanish fleet was rendered 
almost powerless. Sir John Jervis publicly thanked Nelson for 
his great service, while he himself was created an Earl in England. 

In the same year the battle of Camperdown was fought be- 
tween the English and the Dutch. The fleet of the latter prepared 
to cooperate with the French for the invasion of Ireland. The 
British came in sight of the Dutch nine miles from Camperdown. 
The signal was given indicating the method of action for the 
British ships, but the hazy weather prevented the signal from be- 
ing seen but by a few ships. The Dutch commander, after a des- 
perate contest, surrendered his ship, which had scarcely enough 
men alive to man the guns. The other Dutch ships followed his 
example. Each side had the same number of ships (16). The 
Dutch prizes were so shattered as to be useless. 

During this same year occurred the Spithead and Nore Muti- 
nies. They were the result of the corruption and abuses of the naval 
system in which the sailors were subjected to unreasonable treat- 
ment. Again, their pay was not only too low, but their commis- 
sariat was under the control of greedy men who lined their purses 
thereby. These two mutinies occurring during the war created 
a real danger, as every ship refused to sail. It was the tact and 
wisdom of Lord Howe which conciliated the mutineers and won 
their full regard. An Act was passed that satisfied most of their 
grievances. 

These victories and mutinies are described by this story, the 
hero having escaped from the French and from pirates who had 
captured him, and is present in these great engagements, with 
Nelson and with Howe. 



THE MODERN ERA ' 345 

In Press-Gang Days. 1895. Edgar Pickering 

This story gives the facts of the mutinies just indicated and 
sets forth the great services rendered by Nelson. This distin- 
guished commander (1758-1805) was the son of an English rec- 
tor, and was rapidly promoted from stage to stage in the naval 
service of his country. In 1796 he was made Commodore, then 
Rear-Admiral. He commanded the squadron at the blockade of 
Cadiz (1797), and commanded a night attack on Santa Cruz 
which failed on account of darkness, and in which Nelson lost his 
right arm. 

In 1798 the French fleet convoyed Napoleon's army to Egypt. 
For four weeks Nelson searched for the fleet. He finally sighted 
it off Alexandria. Sailing in two lines the English advanced, one 
line sailing between the fleet and the shore. The French were 
taken between two fires. This battle of the Nile began at six in 
the evening and continued until midnight. By that time the French 
were too shattered to reply and the entire fleet was either sunk 
or struck their colors. This great victory ensured the failure of 
Napoleon's Egyptian expedition as it isolated his army. 

These great victories of Nelson, together with the expedition 
against Santa Cruz, are set forth in this story. Another story 
dealing with the battle of the Nile is In the Days of Nelson (1910) 
by Captain F. H. Shaw. 

The Napoleonic Era 

The Stories 

Rose of the Garden. 1912. Katharine Tynan 

This story is a record of the career of Lady Sarah Lennox. 
George III came to the throne in 1760 and in the following year 
married the Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Before 
that time, however, he had a love affair with Lady Sarah Lennox 
which was nipped in the bud. In these things she seemed to be 
unfortunate, first, in not being able to secure the young king, and 
then in marrying a man whom she deserted for another. 

Robert Emmet. 1909. Stephen Gwynn 

Robert Emmet (1778- 1803) was in sympathy with the Society 
of United Irishmen, the object of which was the establishment 
of the "rights of man." In accomplishing this it aimed to secure, 



346 HISTORICAL FICTION 

among other things, reform and Catholic Emancipation. Emmet 
was implicated in the Rebellion of 1798 and was expelled from the 
University of Dublin. He went to the Continent but returned, and 
in 1803 placed himself at the head of a rough mob, and attempted 
to capture Dublin Castle and the Arsenal. He was arrested, was 
tried and condemned for treason, and executed. 

This attempt on the part of Emmet is set forth in this story, 
also the manner in which his affection for the daughter of John 
Curran had a connection with his plot. John Curran entered Par- 
liament in 1782 and was recognized as one of the most brilliant 
orators in the assembly. He strongly opposed the measures of 
Pitt in regard to Ireland. In 181 7 his mind gave way and he com- 
mitted suicide. Emmet's unhappy fate inspired some of the finest 
of the "Irish Melodies" of Thomas Moore. 

Other stones: 

True Man and Traitor (1910) by M. M. Bodkin. 

Ravensdale (1873) by Robert Thynne. 

These stories deal with Emmet and Sarah Curran. 

Springhaven. 1887. Richard D. Blackmore 

This English novelist (1825-1900) was born at Longworth, 
Berkshire, and was one of the most noted novelists of the last 
generation. He was educated at Blundell's School, Tiverton. He 
married a beautiful Portuguese girl. After inheriting a fortune 
in i860 he retired to Teddington where he devoted his time to 
gardening, of which he was fond, and literature. He came to dis- 
tinction by his Lorna Doone, the most famous of his heroines, 
which initiated a new romantic movement in fiction. 

The Peace of Amiens that Napoleon concluded with England 
(1802) was rendered abortive when England saw through the 
treacherous designs of Napoleon. In 1803 war again broke out. 
Napoleon saw that there was but one way by which he could con- 
quer Europe and that was by conquering Great Britain. To ac- 
complish this required that he invade the country, and to this end 
he mobilized a great army at Boulogne with a large number of 
transports to carry his troops to England. But Nelson was active 
and destroyed both the Spanish and French fleets at Trafalgar 
which again established British supremacy upon the sea. With 



THE MODERN ERA 347 

his fleet ruined Napoleon despaired of invading England and 
withdrew his army from Boulogne. 

This story has its historical setting in this plan to invade Eng- 
land, and makes conspicuous Nelson and Napoleon. The effect 
of this contemplated invasion upon the English people is set forth 
by The Sovereign Power (1904) by Violet A. Simpson, and by 
The Mayor of Troy (1905) by A. T. Quiller-Couch. 



Trafalgar. 1884. Benito Perez Galdos 

The battle of Trafalgar was fought in October, 1805, and was 
the last and most fatal blow inflicted on the naval power of France. 
The combined Spanish and French fleets were seen sailing out of 
Cadiz. Nelson followed and at daybreak they were seen about 
twelve miles away. Villeneuve, the French Admiral, drew up his 
fleet in double line. Nelson had altogether 31 ships against 40 
ships of the Spanish and French fleets. Nelson attacked in two 
lines. The battle was fiercely contested, but British courage and 
persistance wore out the enemy. While Nelson's ship, the Vic- 
tory, was storming the French ship the Redoubtable, and as the 
latter struck its colors, Nelson was mortally wounded with one of 
the last shots fired from the latter. He lived long enough to see 
that he had won his last and greatest victory. The combined fleet 
was taken by the British, and the victory put an end to Napoleon's 
hopes of invading England. 

This Spanish novelist (1845-) was born in the Canaries. He 
studied law in Madrid but in a short time devoted himself to jour- 
nalism. In 1889 ne was elected to the Royal Spanish Academy. 
Few Spanish writers have written so extensively as he, and in the 
field of fiction he holds a high place in his realistic and psycholog- 
ical delineations. His sympathies are of the revolutionary type. 

This great victory is the chief interest in this story. 

Other Stories: 

The Yarn of Old Harbor Town (1905) by W. C. Russell, in 
which we see Nelson in pursuit of the French fleet on his way 
to Trafalgar. 

Andrew Goodfellow (1906) by Mrs. Herbert Watson, deal- 
ing with the same events. 



348 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Roy. 1900. Agnes Giberne 

Sir John Moore (1761-1809) was a Scotchman but received 
most of his education on the Continent. He was sent to the West 
Indies under Abercromby, and exhibited such abilities that he was 
made Governor. He returned to England and defeated the rebels at 
Wexford. After the Peace of Amiens he was sent to the Peninsula 
and was appointed to the command in chief and at every point dis- 
played his superior military talents. In 1809 he took up a position 
around the town of Corunna, and awaited the arrival of the Eng- 
lish transports from Vigo. The French under Sault with a force 
of 20,000 men attacked Moore who had about 14,000. A flank 
movement was carried out so successfully that by nightfall the 
British had driven the French from all positions. The British 
loss was about 800 men while the French loss was nearly 4,000. 
Moore won a great victory and covered the embarkation of his 
army, but lost his life in the action. 

The historical range of this story carries us from the time of 
the Peace of Amiens to Moore's victory at Corunna, dealing in a 
splendid manner with the latter. Sir John Moore holds a promi- 
nent place in the story. What is also of special interest is the man- 
ner in which prisoners fared at the hands of the French, and the 
state of many of the French prisons at this time. 

In The Fen Dogs Stephen Foreman describes the retreat of 
Sir John Moore to Corunna. He had advanced up the country, 
but the conditions were against him, and he was compelled to re- 
treat to Corunna. 

Regency and Reign of George IV 

On account of his father's insanity in 181 1 George IV (1820- 
1830) acted as regent until his father's death and succeeded to 
the throne in 1820. He was a man of dissolute habits, and in or- 
der to secure the crown disowned the Catholic woman he had 
secretly married, and ill-treated the German Princess he then 
married, and divorced her. Because of his fine appearance and 
taste in attire he was called "the first gentleman in Europe," 
whereas he was devoid of such a quality. England had little to be 
proud of in her king. The most important event of his reign was 
the passing of the Catholic Emancipation Act by the Wellington 
ministry in 1829. 



THE MODERN ERA 349 

The Stories 
Forest Folk. 1901. James Prior 

During the years 1811-1816, the working people of Yorkshire, 
Lancashire and Nottingham became possessed by the ignorant 
notion that the introduction of machinery was the cause of all 
the distress and hardship that the poor of that time were suffer- 
ing. The Continental war was still draining the resources of the 
country, but the machinery was blamed for the existing conditions, 
and the half-starved crowds set to work to destroy all the ma- 
chinery they could place their hands upon. These were called 
the Luddite Riots, the name taken from that of a half-witted boy 
by the name of Ludd who, some time before, had made himself 
notorious by doing a similar thing with stocking-frames. When 
the riots were suppressed in one place they broke out in another, 
and only as prosperity returned did they cease. 

In this story these scenes of destruction, and the condition of 
the people of this time are portrayed, emphasizing the real root of 
the trouble. 

Strong Mac. 1904. Samuel R. Crockett 

The siege of San Sebastian occurred in the last campaign of 
the war in the Peninsula (1813). Wellington planned to cross 
the Pyrenees and to carry the war into France. The siege was 
turned into a blockade, and aften ten engagements Sault was 
forced to retreat. The English suffered from a shortage of suit- 
able ammunition. Finally the assault was made and the town 
was carried. Then the castle was stormed and taken, and Wel- 
lington was free to carry the war into France. 

This incident of the war appears in this story. The conditions 
in Galloway during this period are portrayed. 

Other Stories: 

The following are descriptive of the manner in which smug- 
gling and privateering prevailed in these days of warfare, and 
the breaking up of established order. 

The Shira (1910) by W. C. Mackenzie. 

The Vanishing Smuggler (1909) by Stephen Chalmers. 



350 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The Revolution in Tanner's Lane. 1837. William H. 

White 

The war was followed by riots in all parts of England owing 
to the manner in which many farms had been thrown out of cul- 
tivation, and the lack of harvest which created general distress. 
The mobs demanded that wheat should be sold at a low price. 
They declared that the farmers were back of the increased cost 
of bread, and farm buildings were set on fire and the baker shops 
looted. The military was called into requisition to suppress these 
riots. 

This story aims to give a just picture of the state of life of 
that time, the condition and circumstances of the people of the 
middle and still poorer class. In this description the Bread Riots 
figure. 

Starvecrow Farm. 1905. Stanley J. Weyman 

In 1 819 was held at Manchester the greatest of the meetings 
in which Parliamentary Reform was demanded. A noted re- 
former, Henry Hunt, was the orator for the occasion. Military 
provisions had been made to forestall rioting of any sort. About 
60,000 people assembled in St. Peter's Field, while from neigh- 
boring housetops the magistrates watched the proceedings. As 
soon as Hunt began his address a constable was sent to arrest 
him. The crowd remonstrated and the militia was ordered to 
charge. They swept through the disordered mass of people. The 
victims were left scattered over the field and the Peterloo Meeting 
has been called the Manchester Massacre, also the Peterloo Mas- 
sacre. 

These agitations that were sweeping through the land is the 
leading interest of this story. The Manchester Massacre is intro- 
duced, also the Cato Street Conspiracy which occurred in 1820. 
The latter, a wild plot conceived by a number of misguided men, 
to assassinate Lord Castlereagh and his ministers. They also 
planned to start fires in various places in London on the same 
night, seize the Bank and Mansion House and proclaim a provis- 
ional government. The facts were brought to the police some time 
before these things were to take place, and as the conspirators 
were arming themselves in Cato Street the police attacked and 



THE MODERN ERA 351 

most of them were captured. The leaders were executed and the 
others were transported for life. 

Napoleon has fallen and the war is over. We are reserving 
the Waterloo campaign until we come to France. Other great 
events of the era will be taken up with the stories where they 
more properly belong. 

Reign of William IV 

George IV left no heirs and was succeeded by his brother 
William (1820-1837). His education was along naval lines, and 
while he possessed very ordinary ability he was advanced through 
the various ranks until he became Lord High Admiral. It was 
in his reign that the Reform Act was passed, the Poor Laws were 
reformed and slavery in the colonies was abolished. Of William, 
Walpole said, "He would have passed in peivate life for a good- 
natured sailor." While he did not possess the qualities for ruling, 
his ministers had practically full control of matters, and the king 
was not in a position to do much harm. 

The Stories 
Chippinge. 1906. Stanley J. Weyman 

This English novelist (185 5-) was born at Ludlow, Shrop- 
shire. He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford. Until 1889 
he practiced law and then devoted himself to literature. His repu- 
tation as a historical Romanticist was established by his novel, 
A Gentleman of France, which was translated into several lan- 
guages. 

In 1819 Lord John Russell made his first motion in favor of 
parliamentary reform, the great question of which he was the 
champion during the whole period of his public life. In 183 1 
he introduced the first Reform Bill to the House of Commons. 
On the second reading of the bill, after the most heated debates, 
it was carried by a majority of one. Parliament was dissolved to 
meet in June, at which time the reformers were in the majority, 
and the bill was carried with a large majority. It passed the 
House of Commons, but was rejected by the House of Lords. 
The king refused to create new Peers, the ministers resigned and 
the Duke of Wellington attempted to form a Tory ministry. It 



o- 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



was a hopeless affair and the nation was coming to a state of in- 
surrection. At last the Lords surrendered, and on June 4 the Bill 
was passed. 

In Bristol so great was the popular indignation when the bill 
was thrown out by the House of Lords that a series of riots broke 
out. When Sir Charles Wetherell, a bitter opponent of the bill, 
entered Bristol, the mob took possession of the principal streets 
and set fire to some houses. Wetherell's carriage was surrounded 
and was pelted with stones. For two days the riots continued, 
and then the militia was brought into action and some people were 
killed. 

These stirring events that brought the nation to the point of 
frenzy are well described by this story. The riots in Bristol, and 
the demonstrations in London are vigorously set forth. Wetherell 
figures in the story. 

Felix Holt, the Radical. 1866. George Eliot 

The author, whose name was Mary Ann Evans (181 9- 1880), 
was born at Asbury, England. She mastered Italian and German, 
which enabled her to bring out a translation of Strauss' "Life of 
Jesus," her first important literary work. She then wrote for the 
"Westminster Review." In 1856 she took up fiction and her 
first work appeared in Blackwood's Magazine. In her novels she 
deals with ordinary people and describes them in their everyday 
life, their joys and sorrows. Her novels, however, are weighty 
with thought. They exhibit the strength and originality of a mind 
more masculine than feminine. The thought element is the first 
consideration of her work. From an evangelical faith she dntted 
into the philosophy of Positivism, having no certain faith in God 
or immortality. When her friend George Lewes died she mar- 
ried J. W. Cross and died the same year. 

This story has never been as popular as some of her other 
novels. The hero is the advocate of the rights of the working man. 
The narrative portrays the social and political life at the time of 
the great Reform Bill agitation (183 1-2). The scene is laid in the 
Midlands and covers a period of about nine months. Esther's 
refusal to marry money and the future that wealth would secure 
to her, and her marriage to the man she loved whose circum- 
stances were of a humbler type, are in line with the basic prinr*- 



THE MODERN ERA 353 

pie of the story. She fully realizes what she is renouncing and 
knows what she is choosing of her own free will. The ground of 
her renunciation is condensed into a couple of sentences : "She 
could not tell him (Felix Holt) that at Transome Court, all that 
finally seemed balanced against her love for, was the offer of a 
silken bondage that arrested all motive, and was nothing better 
than a well-cushioned despair. A vision of being restless amidst 
ease, of being languid among all appliances had quickened her 
resignation of the Transome estates. ,, 



CHAPTER VII 

THE VICTORIAN AGE 

Queen Victoria (1837-1901) was the daughter of Edward, 
duke of Kent, fourth son of George II. She was born at Ken- 
sington Place. Her father died when she was an infant, and she 
was reared by her mother with scrupulous care. She succeeded 
to the throne at the age of eighteen, and in the point of length 
her reign was unprecedented in the world's history. The per- 
sonal reign of Louis XIV was shorter than hers, as is seen by 
subtracting the period during which he was under a regent. 

Within a brief time the young queen demonstrated to her sub- 
jects that their sovereign not only possessed unusual clearness of 
judgment, but was a woman of the highest qualities of goodness, 
by which she at once won their love and esteem. In 1887 was 
celebrated the Golden Jubilee, the fiftieth year of her reign, and in 
1897 was celebrated the Diamond Jubilee. All of the colonies 
were represented, and a wonderful procession moved through the 
streets of London, viewed by millions of people. Three years 
after this great event the death of Victoria was mourned over the 
entire world. She was one of the greatest sovereigns, not only of 
Great Britain, but of human history. 

During this administration there were eighteen changes of 
government. The chief events of this reign were the rebellion 
in Canada, the abolition of the Corn Laws, parliamentary reform, 
enfranchisement of the Jews, the Catholic Emancipation Act, the 
Crimean War, wars with Afghanistan, Abyssinia and Zulu tribes, 
the South African War and the Australian federation. This 
reign was a period of great prosperity and peace at home, and 
of amicable foreign relations. 

In literary interests the Victorian Age has often been com- 
pared with the Elizabethan. It is easier to estimate the latter as 
we are not so close to it. In the Elizabethan the drama was given 
special distinction, whereas in the Victorian, fiction largely super- 
seded the drama. The Victorian Age represented a great advance 
in thought and society toward democracy. Intelligence was more 
general, society more complex and consequently literature is more 

354 



THE MODERN ERA 355 

varied. It is the age of fiction, and the period itself, furnishes a 
rich field in great things for the writer of the historical novel. 

Prime Ministers 

Melbourne, 1 835-1 841. Disraeli, 1868. 

Peel, 1841-1846. Gladstone, 1868-1874. 

Russell, 1 846- 1 852. Disraeli, 1874- 1880. 

Derby, 1852. Gladstone, 1880-1885. 

Aberdeen, 1852-1855. Salisbury, 1885. 

Palmerston, 1855-1858. Gladstone, 1886. 

Derby, 1858-1859. Salisbury, 1886-1892. 

Palmerston, 1859-1865. Gladstone, 1892-1895. 

Russell, 1 865- 1 866. Salisbury, 1895- 1902. 
Derby, 1866-1868. 

The Stories 
Rebecca Riots 

The Gate-Openers. 1912. Kathleen and Letitia 
Montgomery 

In Wales in 1843 a band of lawless Welshmen raised a riot 
regarding the turnpike-gates. There was a general opposition to 
the toll system and this sentiment found expression in a lawless 
manner by the acts of this band. They were called "Rebecca 
Rioters" because they dressed in women's clothes, and the leader 
and his adherents were known as "Rebecca and her daughters." 

This uprising against the system referred to is presented in 
this story ; the acts of this band in keeping up a little reign of 
terror. 

Other stories : 

Rose Mervyn (1889), by Anne Beale, setting forth this same 
agitation. 

In Dewisland (1904), by S. Baring-Gould. 

Daniel O'Connell 
A Lad of the O'Friels. 1903. Seumas MacManus 

This story belongs to the time when Daniel O'Connell, the 
Irish patriot and agitator (1775- 1847), was putting forth his 



356 HISTORICAL FICTION 

efforts in behalf of Ireland. He was distinguished for his legal 
and oratorical abilities. He was elected to Parliament in 1828 
for the County of Clare, but being a Catholic was not permitted 
to take his seat. His triumph came in the following year when 
the Duke of Wellington granted the Catholic claims. In Ireland 
he was called the "Liberator," and was adored by the people. In 
1 841 he assembled large gatherings in Ireland and agitated the 
repeal of the Union. Peel and the government determined to put 
down this propaganda and he was prosecuted for conspiracy. He 
was found guilty and sentenced to a year's imprisonment and a 
fine of $10,000. The House of Lords, however, reversed this de- 
cision. His influence in Ireland was unprecedented. 

This Irish novelist and short story writer (1868-) was born at 
Mountcharles. He first devoted himself to teaching, and began 
to contribute verse and prose to periodicals. The native humor 
and drollery by which his works are characterized have made him 
attractive to British and American readers. 

This story brings out the conditions in Ireland at this time 
of O'Connell's activities, and the attention given to these political 
issues by the people. 

The Irish Famine 
Castle Daly. 1875. Annie Maria Keary 

The failure of the potato crop in Ireland in 1847 caused the 
greatest suffering, indeed so great that notwithstanding the repeal 
of the Corn Laws, and the assistance rendered the sufferers, many 
perished. Many emigrated to America. The population de- 
creased from eight to five millions. The famine resulted in great 
changes in the cultivation and ownership of land, and the adop- 
tion of the system of competition and free contract. 

At this time arose the Smith O'Brien revolt. O'Brien was 
an active opponent of O'Connell. From 1835 to 1849 ne repre- 
sented Limerick. His mania seemed to be to establish an Irish 
Republic with himself as president. He began his agitations in 
the South and incited a large number to take up arms and attack 
the police at Bonlagh Common. O'Brien escaped, but was after- 
wards captured and sentenced to death, which was commuted to 
transportation. In 1856 he was pardoned and restored to Ireland. 



THE MODERN ERA 357 

This English novelist (1825- 1879) was DOrn m Yorkshire. 
Her literary career began with tales for children. Among her 
productions are Early Egyptian History, The Heroes of Asgard, 
Janet's Home. 

This period of suffering from the famine, and this uprising of 
O'Brien, are leading events of this story. It portrays the social 
condition of the time, the ravages of the famine in the supreme 
suffering of the people, contrasted with whom are the landowners. 

The Disruption 
Inchbracken. 1883. Robert Cleland 

By the Veto Act and the rescinding of the Act, of the General 
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church a great change took place 
in the ecclesiastical affairs of Scotland. A vital question of the 
Church had been whether ministers should be inducted into par- 
ishes regardless of the wishes of the congregation. In 1843 tne 
Veto Act of the General Assembly declared that no minister 
should be placed over a congregation against the will of the people, 
and this was also declared to be a fundamental law of the Church. 
This Act, however, was proven to be illegal, and the rescinding of 
it led to the great Disruption. More than a third of the ministers 
withdrew from the Established Church and founded the Free 
Church, which differed from the other in having no support 
from the State, and in giving each congregation the right to elect 
its own pastor. The United Presbyterian Church went a step fur- 
ther and declared that the Church should not only not receive the 
stipend from the Government, but that the Government should 
have no part in the councils of the Church. In 1900 these two 
Churches formed the United Free Church of Scotland. 

This story gives a picture of this time of the Disruption and 
the establishment of the Free Church. It is a picture of what 
was common in those days when the ministers who supported the 
Veto Act left their parishes and with their adherents, sometimes 
a small number, secured a place of worship and became estab- 
lished in the new order. 

The privations often endured by this large body of the Scotch 
clergy are well presented in A Daughter of the Manse (1905), by 
Sarah Tytler, 



358 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The Chartist Agitation 
Alton Locke, Tailor and Poet. 1850. Charles Kingsley 

A new party in England that was known as Chartists arose in 
1838 and continued for ten years. Some of the reforms they 
supported, generally known as the "People's Charter," were 
Manhood Suffrage ; Equal Electoral Districts ; Vote by Ballot ; 
Annual Parliaments; Abolition of Property Qualifications for 
Members. 

This cause advocated excited meetings and processions which 
had to be suppressed. Enormous petitions containing over a mil- 
lion signatures were sent to the House of Commons. Riots 
occurred in several cities. It was proposed that the petitioners 
be heard, which was opposed by Peel and Macaulay. Finally in 
1848, the year of the great Revolution in Europe, a huge meeting 
was decided upon, from which a petition of five million signa- 
tures should be sent to the House of Commons. It looked as if 
a great uprising might take place in London, and the Duke of 
Wellington took military precautions and added a vast body of 
men to the constabulary. The meeting failed through the differ- 
ences of the leaders, and finally the organization died out. 

Kingsley 's story deals with the social problems of this time. 
He devoted his personal energies to the uplift and betterment of 
the working classes, and this story takes a socialistic form in the 
broad sense of the term. It attacks the "sweating" system, and 
deals with the state of things in connection with the Chartist 
movement. 

The titular hero, Alton Locke, has aspirations to rise above 
the sordid conditions under which he lives. He finds himself 
alone, out in the world to shift for himself and hires out as a 
tailor. He comes in touch with the sweating dens and the condi- 
tions they breed. He takes to writing poems, by which to support 
himself, but finally returns to his Chartist friends. In the depre- 
dations of that organization he becomes innocently entangled in 
the burning of some property, and spends three years in prison. 
After leaving the prison he lives but a short time. 

Mr. Leslie Stephen has compared Kingsley's hero with George 
Eliot's "Felix Holt." Of the latter he says, "There is a painful 
excess of sound judgment about him. He gets into prison, not 



THE MODERN ERA 359 

from leading a mob, but for trying to divert them from plunder 
by actions which are misunderstood. He is very inferior to Alton 
Locke, who gets into prison for a similar performance," and his 
further criticism is, that "in trying to make him an ideal of wis- 
dom, George Eliot only succeeds in making him unfit for his part." 

The Prison System 
It Is Never Too Late to Mend. 1856. Charles Reade 

This author conducted a personal investigation of the abuses 
of the lunacy laws, and to expose these abuses wrote Hard Cash. 
He took the same interest in prison reform, and "It Is Never 
Too Late to Mend," is a story with a purpose. Its object is to 
illustrate the abuses of prison discipline in England and Australia. 

In this story Robinson is a prisoner in one of the prisons, and 
is subject to the most inhuman and barbarous treatment. The 
Warden's plan was to require him to do soinething^that he could 
not do and then torture him in the jacket. And as Reade says, 
"Robinson saw the game, and a deep hatred of his enemy fought 
on the side of his prudence. This bitter struggle in the thief's 
heart harmed his soul more than all the years of burglary and petty 
larceny. All the vices of the old gaol system were nothing com- 
pared with the diabolical effect of -solitude on a heart smarting 
with daily wrongs." The Chaplain, Mr. Eden in the story, inves- 
tigated this prison system and fought it. Hawes, the Warden, 
was brought before an official inquiry and was compelled to give 
up his place. 

The Crimean War 

The Coil of Carne. 1911. John Oxenham 

This English novelist was educated at Victoria University, 
Manchester. He was a business man for a number of years and 
then traveled considerably over Europe and America. Devoting 
his attention to literature was at first a matter of amusement, 
but finally a professional interest was established. 

Crimea is a peninsula of southern Russia situated between the 
Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. It is about 200 miles long and 
no miles wide. The chief town and port is Sebastopol. It was 
taken by the Russians in 1783, and under Catharine II was begun 
the great naval arsenal of Sebastopol. 



360 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Russia and Turkey were ancient enemies, and in the weakness 
of Turkey in the middle of the nineteenth century there was 
danger of Russia grasping the possessions of Turkey in the 
Eastern Mediterranean. To seize Constantinople would give her 
the balance of power in Europe and England's road to India might 
be closed. It was therefore necessary that England support Tur- 
key against any aggressions on the part of Russia. 

Matters were brought to a crisis when Russia demanded the 
protectorate over the Greek Church throughout the Turkish Em- 
pire. Failing in this she occupied the Danubian principalities. 
Evacuation of these demanded by Prussia and Austria made 
Crimea the seat of the war. War was declared against Russia by 
England, France and Turkey in 1854. 

In the month of September the allies landed their troops, and 
five days afterwards the battle of Alma was won. The Russians 
occupied the heights of Alma and poured a heavy fire into the 
allies as they climbed up, but reaching the top the British won 
the battle at the point of the bayonet. 

The allies now marched on to Sebastopol to capture the forti- 
fications and destroy the base of Russia's power. It was laid 
under siege. As a base of operations the British occupied the 
harbor of Balaclava. The Russian cavalry advanced towards this 
point, but was checked by Sir Colin Campbell's Scotch High- 
landers and the Heavy Brigade of cavalry. The Russian force, 
twice as large, was driven back in confusion. The French now 
came into action. Lord Ragan seeing the Russians retiring with 
the guns of a battery, sent an order to Lucan to follow and harass 
their retreat. But by the time the Light Brigade was ready to 
carry out the order the Russian cavalry had reformed. From 
some misunderstanding of the order given, and the verbal instruc- 
tion of Nolan, Lucan considered that he was under orders to make 
the attack. Lord Cardigan seeing that a charge, as the enemy 
was now formed, would be useless, remonstrated, but he followed 
the order and led 673 men through a storm of shot and shell 
through the long valley against the whole Russian army. They 
broke through the enemy's lines and struggled back through an- 
other galling fire, leaving half of their number dead and wounded 
on the field. It is one of the most famous charges recorded in 
history, and has been immortalized by Tennyson's "Charge of the 



THE MODERN ERA 361 

Light Brigade at Balaclava." A French officer watching from a 
hill exclaimed, "It is magnificent, but it is not war." 

When Sebastopol fell into the hands of the allies the war was 
practically over. The allies had possession of Crimea and the 
Russians sued for peace. The independence of the Ottoman 
Empire was guaranteed. All captures made by the war were 
restored. 

This story sets forth all the great actions of the war — the 
battles of Alma, Balaclava, Inkermann and the fall of Sebastopol. 
It also describes the terrible sufferings to which the troops were 
subjected during the winter of 1854-55. The food was insuffi- 
cient, there were few nurses and the hospitals were under miser- 
able management. Cholera broke out and nearly half of the 
army was carried off. Florence Nightingale was commissioned as 
superintendent of a group of volunteer nurses. Her great ability 
and judgment introduced system into the hospitals, and her 
ministrations brought untold comfort and consolation to the 
wounded and the dying. 

Other stories: 

The Interpreter (1858), by G. J. Whyte-Melville, who served 
in the Turkish army during the war. 

A Gallant Grenadier (1901), by Captain F. S. Brereton. 

Blair at Balaclava, by Escott Lynn. 

The reader is referred to the "Charge of the Light Brigade 
at Balaclava," by Tennyson, and "An Incident in the Crimean 
War," by Bayard Taylor. 

The Cotton Famine 
Probation. 1880. Jessie Fothergill 

The American Civil War was attended with serious results to 
the cotton industries in England. The blockading of the Confed- 
erate coast rendered impossible the shipping of cotton. In Lanca- 
shire, where so much depended upon the supply of cotton and 
the livelihood of so many people was involved, the mill-owners 
were finally compelled to close their mills. About two millions of 
people were reduced to destitution. In 1862 was started the Cot- 
ton District Relief Fund, for which several millions were sub- 
scribed. A system of loans was organized to relieve the situation 
until the famine came to an end in 1865. 



362 HISTORICAL FICTION 

This English novelist (1851-1891) was born in Manchester. 
She secured recognition by The First Violin in 1877, which was 
a great success. Her father was a wealthy cotton manufacturer, 
and her novels portray life as it is to be found in the factory 
towns of the north of England. They are distinctive for the 
excellent manner in which characteristics are analyzed and 
strongly presented. 

This story has its setting in this industrial situation in Lanca- 
shire, and the distress and poverty created for the want of cotton. 
A wealthy girl holding positive views of the rights of woman 
figures in the story. 

The Fenian Rebellion 
The Wearing of the Green. 1886. R. A. King 

In Ireland and the United States was formed the Fenian 
brotherhood about 1864. Its object was to separate Ireland from 
England and set up an Irish Republic. Many were arrested and 
convicted of treason and sent to prison, including O'Donovan 
Rossa, one of the leading conspirators. In Canada, what is called 
the "Fenian Raid," occurred in 1866 by the American Fenians, 
but it was quickly crushed. Various other attempts were made 
in Ireland, which were suppressed, and in 1871 a raid was put 
down in America by United States troops. When the Fenian 
prisoners were released many of them were cordially received in 
America, but the back of the movement was broken and it passed 
away. 

In this Irish romance this seditious movement figures. A 
good picture of this organization is also to be found in The Dun- 
ferry Risin', by J. J. Moran. The operations of the insurgents, 
and the state of the poorer classes in Ireland at this time are de- 
scribed in Ismay's Children, by Mrs. May Hartley. 

Home Rule and Land League 
The Bad Times. 1907. G.A.Birmingham 

Isaac Butt (181 3- 1879), son of an Irish Protestant clergyman, 
an active opponent of O'Connell, sat in Parliament for Youghal 
(1852-1865). He defended Smith O'Brien, the insurrectionist. 
He was elected as Home Rule member for Limerick in 1871, and 



THE MODERN ERA 363 

took the lead of the new party. He was driven off the field by 
Parnell, who organized the Land League. 

This is a story of the Home Rule Movement and of the rela- 
tions sustained to it by Isaac Butt 

Norah Moriarty. 1886. Amos Reade 

Charles S. Parnell (1846-1891), when elected for Meath, 
entered upon a policy of Parliamentary obstruction, and became 
the leader of the Home Rule party. His great success lay in his 
ability to unite all Irish parties opposed to English rule, to elimi- 
nate the former methods of agitation and have these conducted on 
constitutional lines. He took advantage of the suffering and hard- 
ship caused by poor harvests (1878-1880) to organize the Land 
League movement. In 1881 the whole system of Irish tenures 
was altered by Mr. Gladstone. The Land League was then sup- 
pressed, but came to life again in the form of the National League, 
of which Parnell was elected President. 

The position taken by the League was that the land belonged 
to the Irish people, and it attacked the "rack rents," by which 
the tenant paid to the landlord all that he could possibly pay. 
When Parnell and others were sent to jail for illegal agitations, 
the Land League was abolished. 

The institution and workings of this league are set forth in 
this story. One policy of the League was to terrorize landlords 
and tenants into supporting and not opposing it, by a system of 
boycotting. This entailed considerable hardship, and the distress 
arising from this and other things in connection with it, are por- 
trayed. 

Affairs in India 

To Herat and Cabul. 1901. George A. Henty 

Herat in Afghanistan is a city of great antiquity, situated on 
the high road from India to Persia. Since the middle of the eight- 
eenth century, when the Afghan monarchy was established, Herat 
has been to a greater or less extent under the control of Cabul. 
In 1838 the Persians attempted to capture the city, at which time 
the English supported the inhabitants of the city. Lieutenant 
Eldred Pottinger, at the head of the Afghans, withstood a famous 
siege by the Persians until Great Britain informed the Shah that 



364 HISTORICAL FICTION 

if he entered Herat he would have on his hands a war with Bri- 
tain. The siege was immediately raised. About twenty years 
after that England forced the Shah to acknowledge the independ- 
ence of Herat, and in 1863 it was incorporated with Afghanistan. 

The siege of Herat by the Persians, and the resistance under 
the leadership of Eldred Pottinger are detailed by this story. 

Clevely Sahib. 1896. Herbert Hay ens 

In 1835 Lord Auckland was appointed Governor-General of 
India. Within six months a political crisis of such seriousness 
arose that he was unequal to the situation, and relied wholly upon 
the judgment of those about him. 

When the ex-king, Shah Shu j ah, attempted to regain his 
power, he was defeated by Dost Mahomed, ruler of Cabul. An 
army of 21,000 men marched on Candahar, Shah Shujah was 
crowned and the British entered Cabul. Warning that a spirit of 
rebellion was brewing was unheeded by the British authorities, 
and in 1841 the storm broke. Sir Alexander Burnes and other 
officers were assassinated. In a conference with Akbar Khan, 
the son of Dost Mahomed, the British envoy, Sir W. Macnaugh- 
ten, was murdered. The British garrison of 4,500 accompanied 
by about 12,000 camp followers, left the country, but perished 
in the mountain passes. But one man reached Jellalabad. Ghanzi 
fell to the Afghans. General Pollock organized a strong expedi- 
tion, forced the Khyber Pass, relieved Jellalabad, defeated Akbar 
Khan and captured Cabul. In 1842 the appointment of Lord 
Ellenborough brought Auckland's administration to a close. 

These historical events, from the dethroning of Shah Shujah 
to Pollock's expedition and the seizure of Cabul, are set forth in 
this story. 

Through the Sikh Wan 1894. George A. Henty 

In 1845 a Sikh army of 60,000 men and well equipped en- 
camped close to Ferozepore. Sir Hugh Gough, commander-in- 
chief of the British army, marched to the front, a distance of 150 
miles in six days. The Governor-General declared war and con- 
fiscated the Sikh districts south of the Sutlej. A terrific struggle 
at Fgrozeshar for two days resulted in the entire defeat of the 



THE MODERN ERA 365 

Sikh army. Then followed the rout of the army at Sobraon, and 
the English army entered the Punjab. 

In Lahore a seditious spirit was engendered, and the two lead- 
ing chiefs of the Punjab only waited for a favorable opportunity. 
In 1848 the Sikhs proclaimed a religious war, and the whole 
Punjab arose in revolt. Lord Gough assembled the English army 
at Ferozepore. The army of Shere Singh, holding a better posi- 
tion and being better munitioned, won the battles of Ramnuggur 
and Sadoolapore. At Chillianwallah, after a fierce struggle, the 
Sikhs were forced to retreat. The rebellion was brought to a 
close at Guzerat, where the heavy guns of the British shattered 
the Sikh line. The rebels laid down their arms, and in 1848 the 
Punjab was annexed to the British territories. 

Both of these wars are set forth in Henty's story, giving the 
various actions and the taking of the Punjab with a good descrip- 
tion of the country. 

In Times of Peril. 1883. George A. Henty 

The rapid progress of European civilization in Hindostan, 
which it seemed could not but eventually absorb all the native 
institutions may be regarded as a general cause of the Indian 
Mutiny (1857-1858). Lord Dalhousie's threat to remove the 
Mogul's family from Delhi added to the disaffection that was 
breeding. It only required one thing more to fan into rebellion 
the prevailing discontent. The new Enfield rifles had just been 
introduced among the native troops, and the cartridges were 
greased with the fat of pork, which, according to the Mohamme- 
dan belief, made them unclean. It was believed that this greasing 
of the cartridges was designed to destroy Hindoo caste, and the 
result was an open rebellion. Lord Canning denied that there 
was any such design, and issued a proclamation explaining why 
the cartridges were so treated. It did not allay the suspicions, and 
at Meerut the officers of three regiments were massacred. 

This story deals with these conditions, the breaking up of the 
mutiny and the events that followed. It takes up the happenings 
at Delhi. The three regiments marched to Delhi, and the Euro- 
peans of that city were slaughtered. Three other regiments killed 
their officers and entered the city. The Punjab remained loyal 



366 HISTORICAL FICTION 

and aided the English in suppressing the revolt at other points. 
Then began the siege of Delhi by the British forces. It was 
fortified by bastions sixteen feet high and solid masonry twelve 
feet thick. The rebels were 30,000 strong and well provisioned. 
The siege guns opened a terrific assault upon the walls, and when 
a breach was made the troops poured into the city, where the 
struggle continued for six days. The great Mogul King was 
taken prisoner and the city was captured. 

When Havelock marched into Cawnpore, after defeating 
Nana, he found that the Europeans had all been murdered. At 
Lucknow Sir Henry Lawrence was besieged and Havelock 
marched on to relieve him. He scattered the besiegers and entered 
the city only to find himself besieged. Sir Colin Campbell, at 
the head of the Scotch Highlanders, marched to the relief of 
Lucknow. The city was stormed for days, the rebels were beaten, 
and the city was taken. Sir Colin Campbell then crushed the 
revolt in Oude and Rohilkhund. Jessie Brown, a Scotch servant, 
is the heroine of a poem entitled, The Relief of Lucknow, by 
Robert S. Lowell. She was shut up in the besieged city and was 
the first to hear the playing of the bagpipes of the coming High- 
landers that announced the arrival of British relief. In joy she 
cried out : 

The Highlanders ! Oh, dinna ye hear 
The slogan far awa? 

The McGregors? Ah, I ken it weel; 
It is the grandest of them a\ 

The assistance rendered by the Sikhs greatly aided the stamp- 
ing out of the rebellion. They "were only too grateful for the 
blessings of English rule to rise against their benefactors. The 
most important political result of the Indian Mutiny was the 
transference of the entire administration of Hindostan from the 
East India Company to the crown." 

These great activities in crushing this rebellion are described 
by this story. 

Other stones: 

On the Face of the Waters (1896), by Mrs. F. A. Steel, in 
which the history of the rebellion is set forth and the historical 
personages are introduced. 



THE MODERN ERA 367 

The Dilemma (1876), by G. T. Chesney, a striking presenta- 
tion of the events of the Mutiny. 

The Peril of the Sword (1903), by Colonel A. F. Harcourt, 
portrays especially the events at Cawnpore and Lucknow. 

A Hero of Lucknow (1904), by Captain F. S. Brereton. 

These two hundred or more stories have traced this great 
period in English history from the time the House of Tudor 
came to the throne to the close of Victoria's reign. They embrace 
the great development, movements and events of the Modern Era, 
together with pictures of the manners and customs of the times. 
Our interest, however, lies preeminently in relating this body of 
fiction with the history in which it has its setting in accord with 
the fundamental aim of these studies. 



THE MODERN ERA — FRANCE 



CHAPTER I 

FROM THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA TO 

LOUIS XIV 

Ages are distinguished from one another by great changes or 
new developments. It is necessary that we have an intelligent 
appreciation of the fundamental forces that are operative in 
these transitions. If such did not exist in the Medieval Era there 
would have been no Modern Era. What constitutes the latter is 
not simply the element of time, a mere chronological distinction, 
it signifies a new state of things, new conceptions, developments 
and institutions. If the forces creating these had not been opera- 
tive in the former age we would still be in that age, and the fact 
that we had reached a certain point in years would make no differ- 
ence. One may grow out of his boyhood in the matter of years 
and yet be in a state of boyhood in his ideas, intelligence and de- 
velopment. He cannot be called a man in terms of maturity. 

The intellectual changes in the fourteenth and fifteenth cen- 
turies, together with the history of the Church, are of vital signifi- 
cance as pertaining to the growth of modern states. In both 
situations it was a great struggle towards larger understanding 
and appreciations. The Church was a human affair and exhibited 
its limitations and the limitations of the time; but in the Church 
a Divine element was effective, seeking its fuller expansion and its 
true distinction. That element was Christianity that, in its great 
essentials, was so often misinterpreted. 

As a new spiritual power it was introduced into the world 
in the Ancient Era and became the ruling power of the Medieval 
Era, and is the dominant spiritual force of the Modern Era. By 
transformng first of all the individual, it vitally affects the 
family, society, the state and the nation. It quickens and enlarges 
thought, purifies and elevates morals and gives a new and higher 

368 



THE MODERN ERA 369 

significance to life. It promotes education and general intelli- 
gence, gives to literature a new character and to art a new inspira- 
tion. Embodied in the Church and expressed in creed and ritual, 
it is in itself a spirit and a life transcending the external, over- 
flowing its receptacles, and affecting more or less directly or indi- 
rectly all within the sphere of its influence. Adapted to all times, 
to all nations and to manifold forms, it contains within itself ele- 
ments which insure its perpetuity and its progress. Hence it is the 
great civilizer. It is the vital principal of modern civilization, the 
principle of reform and of true progress." 

Without this ruling force in the world there would have been 
no Renaissance and no such intellectual development that was 
so effective in the transition from the medieval to the modern. 
And without that fuller and freer expression of Christianity itself 
that came by the Reformation, in which the Church became a new 
expression and a new power, it would have ceased to be a domi- 
nant force in the world's larger unfolding. Thus it is that the 
Renaissance and the Reformation constitute that general move- 
ment, contrasted and yet vitally related, which effected the pas- 
sage from the one era to the other. 

Reign of Francis I 

With Francis (1515-1547) and his times begins the era ot 
Modern France. He was moulded under the influence of his 
mother, Louise of Savoy, and his sister Marguerite. Both Francis 
and Charles V of Germany laid claim to the duchy of Milan, in 
which the Pope favored Francis. The latter defeated the Swiss 
in the battle of Marignano, but in 1525 Charles won a great vic- 
tory over him at Pavia, by which he secured Milan and took 
Francis prisoner. As the price of his freedom he surrendered all 
claims to Italy, but as soon as he was free he broke the agreement 
and renewed the war. 

In our study of Henry VIII we noted the meeting of the kings 
in the Field of the Cloth of Gold, socalled because of the magnifi- 
cance displayed. In this Francis was greatly desirous of winning 
over Henry and securing his support. When Henry saw that he 
was being used as a tool he ceased to be interested. It is said 
that his coolness towards Francis originated from a friendly bit 
of wrestling sport during this meeting, in which the French king 



370 HISTORICAL FICTION 

succeeded in throwing Henry, whose sensitive vanity was so 
humiliated that his attitude to Francis was at once altered. 

Francis was vain, capricious and untrustworthy. His kindly 
attitude to the religious reform party was more out of considera- 
tion for his sister Marguerite, for he had no interest in tolera- 
tion as such. When he saw it would be to his advantage to wage 
a war against heresy he did so, as in the case of the Waldenses, 
and his reign which opened so auspiciously closed amid ever deep- 
ening gloom. 

The Stories 

Faithful, but Not Famous. 1872. Emma Leslie 

By the time the Reformation had taken definite form in France 
it had become well established in Germany and Switzerland under 
Luther and Zwingli. In France the Sorbonne had branded the 
study of Greek and Hebrew as heresy, while Lefevre translated 
the New Testament from the original. The bishop of Meaux 
opened his diocese to the preachers and writers whom his friend 
Lefevre recommended, and encouraged their translation of the 
Scriptures. In this -they had also the support of the king's sister, 
Marguerite, who was kindly disposed towards all sentiments of a 
high and humane order. In the reform movement young and fer- 
vent reformers, such as William Farel, eagerly sought after new 
ideas and intellectual interests, and favored whatever came from 
Germany. At first the attitude of Francis seemed favorable to 
the new movement. When certain deputies requested him to sup- 
press learned works of the reform order, he said, "I do not wish 
to have those folks meddled with ; to persecute those who instruct 
us would be to keep men of ability from coming to our country." 

This story deals with the early days of the Reformation in 
France. It sets forth the influence of the Swiss Reformation in 
the work of Lefevre and Farel, and the translation of the Scrip- 
tures. In the middle of the thirteenth century it became a difficult 
matter to properly accommodate the large numbers of students 
who came to the University of Paris with proper places in which 
to live. Their boarding places were in no way connected with the 
academic institution itself. It occurred to Robert de Sorbon the 
propriety of having the students live where they studied. Secur- 
ing the consent of the king he established the first of the Colleges 



THE MODERN ERA 371 

of the University of Paris, the famous Sorbonne. This was a 
society of secular ecclesiastics, living in common and having the 
necessaries of life, and devoting themselves to theological study 
and gratuitous teaching. It was at the Sorbonne that the first 
printing press was set up. In this story the Sorbonne figures 
prominently. 

Renee. 1908. Henry Curties 

In 1 501 Louis XII consented to affiance his two year old 
daughter, Claude, to Ferdinand's grandson, Charles of Austria, 
then about the same age. Her dowry should consist of the duchies 
of Milan, Burgundy, Brittany and Blois, the treaty containing 
the universal clause, "If by default of the Most Christian King, 
or of the queen, his wife, or of the Princess Claude, the aforesaid 
marriage should not take place, the Most Christian King doth 
will and consent, from now, that the said duchies of Burgundy 
and Milan and the countship of Asti, do remain settled upon the 
said Prince Charles." 

These treaties were in every sense disadvantageous to France, 
and Louis decided to consult the nation as to the best way of un- 
doing the mistake. It was declared that the treaties were null 
since the territory of the kingdom was inalienable. The States- 
General urged the king to marry the Princess to his heir Francis, 
and at that time Ferdinand was not in a position to prevent this, 
and thus Louis released himself from this treaty. Francis de- 
lighted him, but his marriage with Claude had been the most 
troublesome affair connected with his domestic life. The mar- 
riage was not proclaimed or celebrated until after the death of 
the queen, Anne of Brittany. 

This marriage of Francis with the Princess Claude has a place 
in this story in which Renee figures. At the beginning of the 
reign of Francis was fought the battle of Marignano (now Melig- 
nano), near Milan, in which the large army of Swiss mercenaries 
was completely routed. It was the most brilliant victory of this 
reign, and was called the strife of giants. On the battle field 
Francis was made knight by Chevalier Bayard. By this battle 
he accomplished what he sought, the conquest of Milan, and en- 
tered that city in triumph. This great victory is an important 
episode in this story, as also the meeting of the kings on the 
"Field of the Cloth of Gold," referred to above and treated in 



37^ HISTORICAL FICTION 

connection with Henry VIII, which the reader can easily locate 
by means of the Index. 

Chevalier Bayard (1476-1524) is introduced. He was the 
model of all the virtues of chivalry, and during the reigns of 
Charles VIII, Louis XII and Francis I he won great victories 
over the Italians, Spaniards and English. He had much to do 
with this victory at Marignano. He was a man of unblemished 
honor. 

A Ward of the King. 1898. Katharine S. MacQuoid 

The Duke of Bourbon, the Constable of France, distinguished 
himself at the battle of Marignano. Through the enmity of the 
king's mother he came into disfavor with Francis I. Stung by the 
treatment he received he formed an alliance with Charles V, 
whom he promised he would attack Burgundy as soon as Francis 
had crossed the Alps, and secure the rebellion of five provinces. 
In this conspiracy it was designed that France should be over- 
turned, and be divided between Spain and England. 

Pavia was the second city in the duchy of Milan, and it was 
the purpose of Francis to make sure of this and other principal 
strongholds. In the desperate battle of Pavia (1524) the French 
were defeated. When Francis was advised to surrender to the 
Duke of Bourbon he replied, "No, rather die than pledge my faith 
to a traitor; where is the viceroy of Naples?" He became the 
prisoner of Charles V. 

These events, the conspiracy, the battle, defeat and Francis 
a prisoner, form the historical setting of this story. Francois de 
Faix, Countess of Chateaubriant, is one of the characters. Francis 
had many mistresses, but this one, noted for her beauty and intel- 
ligence, exerted a very strong influence over him, as did Anne de 
Pisseleu. 

The Gage of Red and White. 1904. Miss Graham Hope 

Jeanne d'Albret was the only daughter of Henry II of Navarre 
and Marguerite the sister of Francis I. The princely house of 
Bourbon was opposed to the house of Guise. The head of the 
former was Antoine. The Bourbons were next of kin to the 
reigning line, Antoine being first prince of the blood. He was dis- 



THE MODERN ERA 373 

qualified for decisive, aggressive action by his fickle, careless and 
easy-going disposition. He married Jeanne d'Albret and became 
titular king of Navarre. Their son was the celebrated Henry of 
Navarre, the hero of the Huguenots and the founder of a new 
dynasty in France. 

In this story Jeanne is sought by the Duke of Guise, Francois 
le Balafre, Lieutenant-General of the kingdom, who had defended 
Metz against Charles and had taken Calais, and sought also by 
Antoine de Bourbon. She accepted the latter. The Guise family 
was founded by Claude of Lorraine, who was made Duke of 
Guise by Francis I in 1527. His daughter, the wife of James V 
of Scotland, was the mother of Mary Queen of Scots. Francois 
le Balafre was his son, so called because of a wound on his face 
received at the siege of Boulogne. 

Ascanio. 1843. Alexandre Dumas 

This French novelist (1802-1870) was the grandson of a ne- 
gress "from whom he inherited many characteristics, both phys- 
ical and mental." In Paris he became assistant secretary to the 
Duke of Orleans. His drama, Henry III, brought him recogni- 
tion. He took up fiction with a view to producing a series of 
novels that would cover the course of French history with the re- 
sult that nearly 300 books bear his name. In many of these he 
merely sketched the plots while others did the work. 

Francis I brought Italian artists to the capital and introduced 
the architecture of the Renaissance. The old palace of Fontain- 
bleau was restored by Italians, and this mode of architecture be- 
came established all over the country. Accompanying this intro- 
duction of architecture was the Italian taste in painting and sculp- 
ture, and the men who were brought to the court of Francis for 
this purpose were such artists as Andrea del Sarto, Francesco 
Primaticcio, and Benvenuto Cellini. 

The setting of this story is the coming of the sculptor, Ben- 
venuto Cellini (1 500-1 571) to the Court of Francis. Many his- 
torical personages are introduced among whom are Charles V. 
Clement Marot, the first poet of any note in the new age, and 
was one of the many writers whom Margaret of Navarre, sister 
of Francis, brought to her Court, and Rabelais one of the most 



374 HISTORICAL FICTION 

celebrated writers of the time whose "pages are full of the youth- 
ful vigor and the mighty hopes of the lusty new age." 

Reign of Henry II 

Henry (i 547-1 559) the son and successor of Francis I had 
some of his father's traits — his prodigality and immorality — but 
lacked his better qualities. He was under the influence of favor- 
ites, and instead of following the advice of wise ministers he 
had his favorites occupy their places. The Duke of Montmorency, 
who had been dismissed from the court of Francis, had placed 
in his hands by Henry the control of affairs, while the king was 
wnder the dominating influence of his mistress Diane of Poitiers. 

The Reformation was making rapid strides in France. At the 
close of Henry's reign there were 2150 reformed churches. The 
adherents of the new faith were subject to bitter persecution. 
Francis I never allowed himself to witness any of the executions 
while Henry, during whose reign of twelve years there were 
ninety-seven executions for heresy, was present when some of 
these took place. 

The reign of Henry added little of importance to history. 
During this time Calias was lost to the English. He married 
Catharine de Medici who became active in state affairs during the 
reign of her son Francis. Henry came to his death by accident 
at the hand of the Count of Montgomery, a Scotch nobleman and 
captain of the guards. In the midst of a great tournament Henry 
wished to break a lance with the Count. They broke their lances 
skilfully, but Montgomery, failing to drop the piece in his hand 
at the proper moment, a splinter of it pierced the king's eye. After 
eleven days of suffering he died. 

The Stories 
The Two Dianas. 1846. Alexandre Dumas 

This story embraces most of the reign of Francis I, that of 
Henry II and of Francis II. Henry entered into an alliance with 
the Pope to deliver Italy from the Spaniards. The latter invaded 
Picardy under Emmanuel Philibert and gained a decisive vic- 
tory over the French under Montmorency at St. Quentin. At the 
same time war broke out with England which ended in 1588 when 



THE MODERN ERA 375 

the Duke of Guise captured Calais after being in English posses- 
sion for over two hundred years. The engagement at St. Quentin 
and the taking of Calais are strikingly set forth in this story. 

The young Count Montgomery is in love with Diana, daugh- 
ter of Diana of Poitiers, but discovers that her father, Henry II 
who acknowledges that he is her father, has had her married to 
another. Her husband dies and Montgomery, who still loves her, 
has his hopes destroyed by Henry who reveals to him the secret 
of his birth, i. e., that Diana of Poitiers was his father's mistress, 
in which case he would be the half brother of the woman he loved. 
He rescues her from the convent which she entered when it is 
taken by the English. The account of the accidental death of the 
king at his hands, as given above, is also introduced. Montgom- 
ery enters the religious wars as a Huguenot, is seized and ex- 
ecuted. 

The story also contains the account of the Huguenot plot fol- 
lowing the accession of Francis II, in which La Renaudie, who 
had the management of the plot, was slain. 



The Page of the Duke of Savoy. 1846. Alexandre 

Dumas 

Emmanuel Philibert (1 528-1 580), Duke of Savoy, served un- 
der Philip II. He led the Spanish forces against those of Henry 
II when the latter attempted the deliverance of Italy, and gained 
a decisive victory at St. Quentin. When the war was closed in 
1559 France had utterly failed to gain a foothold in Italy and 
peace was concluded. To seal the peace compact Philip married 
the daughter of Henry, while Emmanuel Philibert married the 
king's sister. It was in the midst of the festivities celebrating 
these unions that Henry met with the accident that cost him his 
life, as set forth above. 

In this story the Duke of Savoy holds a central place, and the 
conflict at St. Quentin and Calais are events. A large number of 
historical personages are introduced. Representatives of the Pro- 
testant and Catholic factions appear, and during the long period 
covered by the story the abdication of Charles V in 1556 occurs, 
also the part taken in state affairs after the death of Henry by his 
wife, Catharine de Medici. 



376 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Orrain. 1904. Sidney Levett- Yeats 

We have already referred to the powerful influence exerted 
upon Henry II by his mistress, Diane of Poitiers. Catharine de 
Medici of the powerful Medici family of Florence, the wife of 
Henry II, was a remarkable woman. For some years after her 
marriage with the French king her real personality did not come 
to view. "That marriage had been only a detail in the political 
schemes of Henry and the pope, and she soon found herself lonely 
and neglected in her new home. In these trying circumstances 
she comforted herself with singular submissiveness. Even when 
her husband became king she still remained in the background, 
never asserting her position, and scarcely protesting against the 
domination at Court of Henry's mistress, Diane of Poitiers. It 
was only on the accession of her young and fragile son Francis 
that her real qualities, moral and intellectual, began to appear. 
Henceforth, till her death in 1589, she was one of the ruling spirits 
of the age." 

In this story the point of historical interest is the position of 
these two women in the Court of Henry II. It distinguishes 
them in the attitude of rivalry, the queen in her position as such, 
and Diane the favorite of the king. 

Reign of Charles IX 

Charles (1 560-1 574) came to the throne on the death of his 
brother Francis II. He was then ten years of age, and his mother, 
Catharine de Medici, who acted as regent during his minority, 
continued to exercise powers in the affairs of State. It was her 
policy to hold the favor of the Bourbon party, which at that time 
was close to the throne, and Antoine of Bourbon was appointed 
Lieutenant-General of the kingdom. The bitter conflict between 
the Guises and the Huguenots, the Catholic and Protestant par- 
ties, kept the state in turmoil and terror. The Chancellor de- 
clared that the Regent and her counsellors wanted to devise some 
common ground of agreement, and the government called to- 
gether representatives of the two religious parties. Beza, a fa- 
mous scholar, headed the Protestant representation. Little came 
of it, as it degenerated into bitter disputes. In 1562 the Protes- 
tants were declared to be rebels which deprived them of legal pro- 
tection. 



THE MODERN ERA 377 

The reign of Charles was a reign of bloodshed and terror in 
which his mother was the chief instigator. That a massacre such 
as that of Bartholomew could take place is a clear indication of 
the state of the times ; it also shows how powerful the reform 
movement was becoming, and yet to what point France had yet 
to advance to secure and safeguard the rights and liberties of 
the individual. 

The Stories 

A Cardinal and His Conscience. 1901. Miss Graham 

Hope 

One of the greatest forces of the Reformation was John Cal- 
vin (1509- 1 564). He was born in Noyon, France, and was edu- 
cated at the Colleges of La Marche and Montaign, Paris. While 
studying law at Bourges he learned Greek, and the reading of the 
New Testament brought him to an acceptance of the Protestant 
doctrines, which he began preaching at Bourges. Under the in- 
fluence of the queen of Navarre, sister of Francis I, these doc- 
trines were popular in Paris and Calvin came to that city. When 
active measures were taken by the king against the new religion 
Calvin and others took refuge in Basle. 

The Reform movement was spreading throughout the coun- 
try and had become organized having a definite creed. For the 
latter fact Calvin was largely responsible in the publication of his 
Institutes of the Christian Religion in 1536. This epoch-making 
work was prepared in Switzerland, and is a landmark in the his- 
tory of French Protestantism. He was the great constructive 
force of the Reformation. His system of Protestant theology 
and ethics, "claiming as it did the fixity and finality of the older 
creed, became a nucleus about which French religious thought 
quickly consolidated. Protestantism now gained substance and 
definiteness as well as popularity. Many members of the nobility, 
and of the wealthy middle classes, openly went over to it." 

Among the Catholic leaders was Charles, Cardinal of Lor- 
raine. He was a scholar and an eloquent preacher ; he had shrewd- 
ness and capacity for affairs. But he was essentially unprinci- 
pled and possessed a jealous, vindictive disposition. He became 
the controlling power in the internal administration of the state 
in the midst of Calvin's great work in the organization and spread 
of Protestantism. He brought his entire influence against the 



378 HISTORICAL FICTION 

new movement. The execution of DuBourg, because he raised 
his voice in Parliament for toleration, together with his dying 
speech, filled the ranks of the Protestants from the student body 
of Paris. The Protestants, who had quietly borne their suffer- 
ings, now began to talk of armed resistance. Vast numbers who 
had little or no sympathy with the reform doctrines passed over to 
their side in opposition to the Guises and their diabolical rule. 

The heroine of this story espoused the Calvinistic doctrines. 
The story deals with the time of this religious contest when Cath- 
arine de Medici was the ruling power in the state. Cardinal of 
Lorraine is the leading character in the story. It was to him and 
the Duke of Guise that Francis II, husband of Mary Queen of 
Scots, committed all the affairs of state, both of whom being 
uncles of Mary. 

The Man at Arms. 1840. George P. R. James 

That the Protestants could place no reliance upon the prom- 
ises of the government was clearly indicated by the decree of 
Catharine de Medici which prohibited, under pain of death, all 
religious meetings, and that all Protestant ministers should leave 
the country within two weeks. At Jarnac (1569) the Huguenots 
were defeated and their brave leader Conde was slain. Coligny 
now became the head of the Protestants, although Henry of Na- 
varre, son of Jeanne d'Albret, queen of Navarre, who had trained 
him in the Protestant faith, was appointed general-in-chief. Again 
the Huguenots under Coligny were defeated at Moncontour. 
When Catharine saw that she could not stamp out Protestant- 
ism by such measures she made concession regarding their pub- 
lic worship confined within certain districts. 

These reverses at Jarnac and Moncontour and the death of 
Conde are described by this story having its setting in this period 
of these religious wars. It then takes up the crowning event of 
these conflicts — the Massacre of St. Bartholomew. 

In 1572 Jeanne d'Albret died and her son Henry (afterwards 
Henry IV) became king of Navarre. On August 18, 1572, he was 
married to the daughter of Catharine de Medici who now decided 
to strike Protestantism a fatal blow. To unite in the celebration 
of Henry's marriage Huguenots had come from all parts of the 



THE MODERN ERA 379 

country. Coligny, while leaving his house was shot at by an as- 
sassin employed by Catharine, and lost a finger instead of his 
life. A furor was raised in the city, and Charles IX declared the 
assassin should be brought to account. 

Catharine fearing the disclosures that might be made induced 
her weak son Charles to believe that Coligny had designs on his 
life, and planned with him a general massacre of the Huguenots 
in the city. To this he gave his consent, and sent out his secret 
order for the commission of this monumental crime. The mar- 
riage festivities of Henry of Navarre were still proceeding when 
on the night of August 24 the assassins received the signal to 
strike. Coligny was among the first to fall, murdered in his bed- 
room and his body thrown out in the street. The murderers held 
high carnival until, as writes a contemporary chronicler, "it filled 
the streets with such horror that even their Majesties, who were 
the authors of it, could not restrain their fear in the Louvre." 
From Paris the fanaticism spread to other parts until, it is esti- 
mated, 70,000 Huguenots were murdered throughout the coun- 
try. While the slaughter was going on in Paris Henry of Na- 
varre was held prisoner, and saved his life by going to mass. 

Europe stood agast, and Catharine to save herself compelled 
Charles to go before Parliament and take upon himself the whole 
responsibility for the deed. From that moment remorse fastened 
upon him and carried him to his grave within a year. In his dying 
moments he saw the victims of his crime and blood everywhere, 
and was shaken by the agonies of horrors, abandoned by all save 
his old Huguenot nurse. 

Other Stories : 

St. Bartholomews Eve (1893) by G. A. Henty, describing 
Jarnac, Moncontour and the massacre. 

For the Admiral (1906) by Herbert Hayens, in which the 
siege of Rochelle, following the massacre, is set forth. 

The House of the Wolf (1890) by Stanley J. Weyman. 

A King's Treachery (1909) by Albert Lee. 

Henry of Navarre (1904) by May Wynne. 

Reign of Henry III 

Henry, Duke of Anjou and king of Poland, brother ot Charles 
IX, succeded to the throne (1 574-1 589). His mother once more 



380 HISTORICAL FICTION 

became the ruling power behind the throne. Henry of Navarre, 
who had been forced to accept Catholicism, as noted above, now 
took up his residence in Poitou and openly rejected Catholicism. 
The reign of Henry III was a period of war, intrigue and an- 
archy. The formation of leagues on the part of Catholics had 
become quite general, so that it became an easy thing for the Duke 
of Guise to create the Catholic League, the objects of which should 
be supported by all Catholics throughout the country. While the 
avowed object of the League was the extermination of the Re- 
form movement, the Duke of Guise, its leading spirit, intended 
to make it serve his own ends against the king. The latter was 
becoming unpopular, and following the Duke of Anjou the Prot- 
estant Bourbons would be in line for the throne. Through the 
League, by getting the Duke of Anjou out of the way, the Duke 
of Guise hoped to become king. 

The Stories 

Marguerite de Valois. 1845. Alexandre Dumas 

Marguerite of Valois, as already noted above, was the wife 
of Henry of Navarre and the daughter of Catharine de Medici. 
She was now queen of Navarre. It was not a happy marriage 
and they finally lived apart. He secured her consent to a divorce 
which was granted by the Pope in 1600. He then married the 
Pope's niece, Maria de Medici, and by the birth of three sons the 
hopes of a successor in his own line were now established. 

This story begins with the events of the Massacre of Barthol- 
omew. It describes the activities of Philip of Spain, who, by the 
means of his secret tools, labored to engender religious warfare in 
France. The plot to call upon Germany and England for aid 
in support of the disaffected elements resulted in the death of the 
plotters. 

An Enemy to the King. 1898. Robert N. Stephens 

The Duke of Guise, through the League, tried to secure the 
disinheritance of Henry of Navarre, and the latter in turn de- 
clared that the League and its leaders were directly responsible 
for all that France had so long suffered. The king, Henry III, 
under his mother's instigation and the support of the Guises re- 



THE MODERN ERA 381 

scinded all privileges granted the Reformers and prohibited pub- 
lic worship, and the Pope supplemented this with an edict that 
Henry of Navarre, being a heretic, had no claims on the throne. 

Anarchy reigned throughout the country. In the War of the 
Three Henries, Henry of Navarre secured a great victory over 
the king's army at Coutras (1587). The Duke of Guise came into 
great favor by driving out the German allies of the Protestants, 
which popularity so enraged the king that he sent the Duke a 
message forbidding him to come to Paris. But he came amid 
the enthusiasm of the people. The Duke of Anjou being dead 
the scheme of Guise was to create a break between the king and 
Henry of Navarre and this he had already accomplished. He was 
summoned to the king's apartments and was assassinated by the 
latter's bodyguard. The murder of the Duke threw Paris into 
a fury of madness. In the midst of this Catharine de Medici 
died, the Sorbonne declared that the king had no further claims 
upon the allegiance of the people, and Henry joined forces with 
Henry of Navarre. 

A young monk became convinced that he was divinely ap- 
pointed to end the king's career. He succeeded in getting into his 
camp, and by a ruse getting the king alone he plunged a knife 
into him. The assassin was at once slain by the guards. The king 
died the next morning, the last of the line of Valois. 

The utter confusion and plotting for power as just set forth 
are brought out in this story. The edicts against Protestants, 
and the scheming of the Duke of Guise to bring about a rupture 
between the king and Henry of Navarre, and the war that re- 
sulted, are leading features of the story. 

The King's Mignon. 1909. John E. Bloundelle-Burton 

When the Duke of Guise received his great ovation at Paris, 
as described above, and in which Henry III saw to what extent 
the country had turned against him, he convened tne btates-Gen- 
eral at Blois. He had decided to crush the League which the 
Duke of Guise was using so greatly to his advantage. The result 
of the conference was that he was forced to confirm the appoint- 
ment of the Duke as Lieutenant-General of the kingdom. It was 
then that he called the Duke to his apartments and had him as- 
sassinated and then in triumph carried the news to his mother, 



382 HISTORICAL FICTION 

and declared that now he could be king indeed. He soon dis- 
covered that he had made a fatal mistake. 

This story takes up this page of history and relates this scene. 
Jacques Clement, the monk who slew the king in the camp of 
Henry of Navarre, is a character in the story. 

A Gentleman of France. 1893. Stanley J. Weyman 

This story relates to the time just prior to the accession of 
Henry IV. The hero, Gaston de Marsac is a nobleman who has 
been reduced to an impoverished state. He is a loyal adherent 
of Henry of Navarre. He is adventurous but thoroughly chival- 
rous. He becomes implicated in a plot to abduct Mademoiselle 
de Vire, the niece of Turenne. It was a delicate mission commit- 
ted to him, but he performed it so well, that in the face of pecu- 
liar difficulties, he won the high regard and also the heart of the 
high-spirited heiress. 
Other Stories: 

Henry of Guise (1839) by G. P. R. James, giving a good por- 
traiture of the Duke and the king, the assassination of the former 
figuring largely. 

The Coming of Navarre (1909) by O. V. Caine, which gives 
the destruction of the Armada in 1588, and distinguishes the ris- 
ing of the Duke of Guise and his assassination the same year. 

House of Valois. 

Philip VI, 1328-1350. Louis XII, 1498-1515. 

John the Good, 1350-1364. Francis I, 15 15-1547. 

Charles the Wise, 1364- 1380. Henry II, 1547- 1559. 

Charles VI, 1 380-1422. Francis II, 1 559-1 560. 
Charles the Victorious, 1422-1461. Charles IX, 1 560-1 574. 

Louis XI, 1461-1483. Henry III, 1574-1589. 
Charles VIII, 1483-1498. 

Reign of Henry IV 

Following the strenuous times of war and intrigue, and every 
attempt to keep Henry of Navarre from the throne, he succeeded 
Henry III as Henry IV (1 589-1610). The House of Valois 
passed away with Henry III and the rule of the House of Bour- 
bon now begins. The large towns still supported the League, and 



THE MODERN ERA 383 

Henry had to fight his way to the throne. He besieged Paris 
for four months and brought it almost to a state of starvation. 
He allowed 6,000 starving people to escape, saying "Paris must 
not become a graveyard ; I do not wish to reign over the dead." 
He believed that the only way for him to save the nation was to 
espouse Catholicism, and thus meet the fanaticism on every hand, 
and by this means secure toleration for the Protestants. It re- 
quired courage to do this, but it was a step dictated by political 
wisdom and patriotism. "Paris," he said, "was well worth a 
mass." 

Henry now took measures to bring the country to unity and 
prosperity. English seamanship and French resistance brought 
about the decline of Spain and Philip's ideal of Empire, and from 
this danger France was saved. The Peace of Nantes (1598) 
brought to an end the religious wars, granting to Protestants re- 
ligious rights and freedom of conscience. 

Henry's queen, Maria de Medici, was crowned in 1610, and 
on the day following the coronation Henry was stabbed by a 
fanatic. His reign was a benediction to his country, and he was 
entitled to the designation — The Regenerator of France. 

The Bourbon Dynasty. 

Henry IV, 1589-1610. Louis XVI, 1774-1792. 

Louis XIII, 1610-1643. Louis XVII, Never Crowned. 

Louis XIV, 1643-1715. Louis XVIII, 1814-1824. 

Louis XV, 171 5-1774. Charles X, 1824- 1830. 

Following the Revolution of 1830 the branch of the Bourbons 
known as the House of Orleans succeeded to the throne. 

The Stories 
One in a Thousand. 1835. George P. R. James 

Following the death of Henry III, Henry IV deteated May- 
enne at Arques, the leader of the forces of the League. At Ivry 
in Normandy he almost annihiliated the Leaguers in 1590. Before 
the battle began Henry addressed his men : "My companions, I 
am resolved to die or conquer with you. If you lose sight of the 
standards and colors keep my white plumes always in view, for 
there you will find the road to victory and glory." He remained 
in the thickest of the fight, turned the enemy to flight and pur- 
sued them to the very gates of Nantes. 



384 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The events of the war at the time Henry III was killed appear 
in this story and constitute, as it were, an approach to the con- 
flicts of Henry with the League and this battle of Ivry. The 
Duke of Mayenne, one of the characters, was the leader of the 
forces of the League. 

The Helmet of Navarre. 1901. Mrs. Bertha B. Runkle 

This American novelist was born at Berkley Heights, N. J. 
Her stories, The Truth About Tolna, The Scarlet Rider, and 
others have won attention. 

The siege and the taking of Paris created in the Huguenot 
followers of Henry feelings of vengeance for St. Bartholomew, 
and it required all his skill to keep them from excesses. The block- 
ade about the city was complete, and the starving people at last 
began to cry out "Give us bread !" Anything that could be eaten 
was devoured. Pestilence tramped on the heels of famine. The 
people called for peace, the Governor threw open the gates and 
Henry marched into the city amid the cries of the people, "Vive 
le Roi !" 

This scene of Henry's final conquest for the throne, entering 
Paris with an escort of 5,000 men, is described by this story. 

The Abbess of Vlaye. 1904. Stanley J. Weyman 

Following Henry's coronation but three provinces held out 
against him — Burgundy, which he subdued by the victory of 
Fontaine ; Francaise, Picardy, reduced by the capture of Amiens ; 
Brittany, which submitted in 1598. The war with Spain was 
brought to a close by the treaty of Vervins. 

It is this last struggle and the subjugation of these last prov- 
inces in which this story is interested. It contains much action, 
and gives a good description of the state of France in these early 
days of Henry's rule. 

Reign of Louis XIII 

Louis (1610-1643) was but nine years old when his father, 
Henry IV, was assassinated, and his mother, Maria de Medici, 
became regent of France. She was not a woman of great intel- 
ligence, and was in no sense characterized by such abilities as 



THE MODERN ERA 385 

Catharine de Medici possessed. Her policy was weak and vacil- 
lating, she was banished from the Court and various ministers 
took control of affairs. 

A new great force now appeared in the person of Cardinal 
Richelieu who was to exercise a ruling influence in shaping the 
policies of this period. The Italian, Concini, was made Secretary 
of State. He was ambitious and presumptious, and to get rid 
of this plotter Louis entered into a conspiracy and the Italian 
was shot as he was entering the Louvre. "Now I am King," said 
Louis, and the people gathered about him glad that the tyrannical 
foreigner was out of the way. 

Throughout his reign Louis was almost completely under the 
direction of Richelieu who induced him to participate in the Thirty 
Years' War. The ambition of the latter was to raise France to 
a high place among the nations, and to resist the Hapsburg Houses 
of Austria and Spain so that France might expand to the limits 
of ancient Gaul. 

The Stories 

Cardillac. 1909. Robert Barr 

The young king, Louis XIII, was encouraged to indulge in 
falconry, having been kept from public affairs by his mother and 
the Italian Concini. To get him absorbed in falconry they se- 
cured as a companion Charles d'Albert de Luynes, who was an 
expert in this respect. This companion and Vitry, Captain of the 
Guard, were the conspirators who joined with Louis in the murder 
of Concini. At this point, Maria, the mother of Louis, between 
whom there was bad feeling, went to Blois, and as she left Paris 
the insults of the people indicated that her interest in public af- 
fairs was at an end. She attempted to bring about a civil war, 
and escaping by way of a window from Blois joined the Duke of 
Epernon. 

Luynes, the companion of the king, was now the real ruler, 
the king being devoted to hunting expeditions. Richelieu, the ad- 
viser of the queen, counselled her to become reconciled with the 
king, and that was effected. Luynes had assumed the office of 
Constable of France. After sacking Monheur he died. While 
ruled by his greed of power he exhibited more ability in the han- 
dling o f affairs than the Italian whose place he filled. 



3 86 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The relations of Luynes to the king and his place in public af- 
fairs are brought out in this story. It relates to this period of the 
Queen's fall, and her retirement to Blois and describes her ex- 
periences in that place. 

My Lady of Intrigue. 1910. Humfrey Jordan 

The policy of Richelieu was to increase the power of the 
Crown by crushing the Huguenots, to establish an absolute des- 
potism and to make France a leading power in Europe. He de- 
clared that "whilst the Huguenots keep foot in France, the king 
will never be master at home, nor be able to undertake any glori- 
ous enterprise abroad." He then proceeded to build a fleet to aid 
him in his designs. Intrigue was the order of the Court, not only 
the schemes of Richelieu, but those "set on foot by cabals of 
Princes of the Blood, and the high dames of the Court, to com- 
pass Richelieu's ruin, together with that of the Queen-mother." 

This man, Cardinal Richelieu, a man of genius and power, 
who won the triumph of France, masterly and merciless, never 
swerving from his purpose, has had the torments of his struggle 
and his complex character portrayed by Michelel: "One can 
easily understand that he was always ill. The insufficiency of his 
resources, the continual effort to invent impossible money; on 
the other hand, the Court intrigues, the prick of no one knows 
how many invisible insects, were something to keep him in a ter- 
rible agitation. But even that was not enough; twenty other 
devils haunted this restless soul, like a house swept and garnished 
— the battle of women, tardy gallantries ; moreover, theology and 
the wild desire to write, to make verses, tragedies ! What tragedy 
could be more gloomy than his very person! Macbeth is gay in 
comparison. And he had attacks of violence in which his inner 
fury would have strangled him, had he not, like Hamlet, massa- 
cred tapestries with the blows of his dagger. More often he 
swallowed his bitterness and fury, covered everything with the 
outward seeming of ecclesiastical decency. His powerlessness, 
his passion, turned within, worked themselves out on his body ; 
the red iron burned his soul, and he was near to death." 

In this story Richelieu in this mesh of intrigue and his designs 
regarding the Huguenots are well described. As noted, his pur- 
pose was to undermine the Hapsburg supremacy, and Queen 



THE MODERN ERA 387 

Anne of Austria appears in the story. Never had women been 
more influential in Court intrigues, and in this story Madame de 
Chevreuse (Marie de Rohan), the widow of Luynes (see above), 
was the leader of intrigues. It was she who tried to influence the 
young queen in regard to Buckingham which incurred the furious 
anger of the king, and the hatred of Richelieu for Buckingham 
which had its effect upon the policies of France and England. 
Another character in the story is Gaston of Orleans, the brother 
of the king whose baseness and treacherous scheming Richelieu 
had defeated, who raised an insurrection in 1832. 

The Three Musketeers. 1844. Alexandre Dumas 

This story should be read in connection with Twenty Years 
After and The Vicomte de Bragelonne. Dumas' stories are of 
peculiar value in giving much of French history, if read in their 
historical order. 

In The Three Musketeers and the other two works mentioned, 
D'Artagnan, the greatest of the author's heroes, is presented from 
the time he arrived in Paris to the end of his life. This "char- 
acter is drawn largely from the genuine memoirs of Charles de 
Batz-Castlemore (1623-73), who assumed the name d'Artagnan 
(his mother was a Montesquieu-d'Artagnan) when at the age of 
seventeen he set out for Paris with a letter of introduction to 
Troisvilles, Commandant of the Musketeer Guards." 

As soon as he entered Paris he succeeded in fighting three 
duels with the most distinguished duelists of the Musketeer Guard 
and by his deportment won their friendship. These three Mus- 
keteers were Athos, who in real life was Armand de Sillegue ; 
Aramis and Porthos, who in real life was Isaac de Portau. These 
four from this time on, shared each other's fortunes and mishaps 
in their many adventures in France and England. 

Richelieu issued an edict against duelling. The father of 
D'Artagnan advised his son to fight duels, and the more so be- 
cause they were forbidden. He would thus be exhibiting courage 
in two' ways — in breaking the law and in running the risk of being 
killed. 

The four comrades render a service to the French queen in 
turning the design of Richelieu and the female agent in his em- 
ploy. Queen Anne had indulged her spite by intriguing with 



388 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Spain so as to increase the troubles of Richelieu. The four be- 
came entangled in various political situations. 

The Duke of Buckingham was given command of a fleet to 
aid the Protestant town of La Rochelle in its rebellion against 
Louis XIII. At the Isle of Rhe he was driven off by a stronger 
force. He had been impeached by Parliament and was in dis- 
favor. Parliament ordered that he be removed from office. He 
was preparing a second expedition for the relief of La Rochelle 
when, on leaving the dining room where he had breakfasted, he 
was stabbed by a discontented officer (1628). This event is 
introduced in this story. 

Knighthood's Flower. 1906. John E. Bloundelle- 

Burton 

On the plea that the treaty of Montpellier had not been com- 
plied with the inhabitants of the Protestant city of La Rochelle 
rose in revolt. It was a powerfully fortified city, and the strong- 
hold of this party. Richelieu called it a "nest of wasps." In 
1627 Buckingham came with a fleet from England to aid the city, 
but made a failure of his attempt and returned to England. Riche- 
lieu now determined upon the destruction of La Rochelle. It was 
so strongly fortified that by a line of fortifications he cut off the 
city on the land side, and closed the harbor by a gigantic dike. 
The mayor of the city, Jean Guiton, laid his dagger upon the 
table and declared he would slay the first person who spoke of 
surrender. For fifteen months the city was besieged and cut off 
from provisions. Famine took off the besieged by thousands. 
Leather and cats were almost luxuries. At last La Rochelle capit- 
ulated and the king marched into the city. The lives of the people 
were spared and their religious liberties ensured, but its fortifica- 
tions were destroyed. 

The historical setting of this story is this event of the siege 
of La Rochelle. 

The Bravest Gentleman in France. 1908. Herbert 

Hayens 

Gaston, Duke of Orleans, the king's brother, was weak, cow- 
ardly and treacherous. He had married the sister of the Duke of 



THE MODERN ERA 389 

Lorraine and also had a strong supporter in Montmorency, the 
Governor of Languedoc. The people were ready to support their 
governor against Richelieu because their political independence 
was endangered by the measures taken in suppressing the Hugue- 
not revolt. By the aid of the Duke of Lorraine Gaston raised an 
army of brigands. They were badly fed and engaged in pillaging 
as they passed through the country. At Castelnaudary in Lan- 
guedoc they met the royal forces and were decisively defeated. 
By abandoning his allies Gaston, by profuse expressions of re- 
pentance and promises for the future, secured the king's pardon. 
Montmorency was exceedingly popular, and the people petitioned 
that his life be spared. Their prayers were of no avail ; Richelieu 
was unmovable, and the Governor's head fell beneath the axe. 

This story traces these events of the conflict between Riche- 
lieu and Montmorency, the insurrection of Gaston, the battle and 
defeat of the insurrectionists and the death of the Governor. 

Cinq-Mars. 1847. Alfred Victor de Vigny 

The Marquis of Cinq-Mars (1620-1642), a French courtier, as 
a boy was placed in the Court of Richelieu. His fine personal 
appearance won for him the favor of Louis XIII, and at the age 
of nineteen was made Grand Equerry. He allowed himself to be 
used as a tool by the enemies of Richelieu, and he tried to poison 
the king's mind against his minister. Then began negotiations 
and intrigues. The Duke of Bouillon, who was given command 
of the army of Italy by the king, was drawn into the plot against 
Richelieu. In the plot, too, were the Duke of Orleans and the 
queen. Negotiations with Spain for an army were entered into, 
a copy of which fell into the hands of Richelieu. The conspira- 
tors were arrested. As usual Gaston, the king's cowardly and 
contemptible brother, wept himself into the king's pardon, but 
was sent to Blois to remain for the rest of the time. The Duke of 
Bouillion saved his life by surrendering his fortress of Sedan. 
M. de Thou, the intimate friend and fellow-plotter of Cinq-Mars, 
went to the block. As the former marched to his death he ex- 
claimed, "Enough of this world ; away to Paradise." Cinq-Mars 
wrote his mother, "Now that I make not a single step which does 
not lead me to death, I am more capable than anybody else of esti- 
mating the value of the things of this world." He refused to 



39Q HISTORICAL FICTION 

have his eyes bandaged and kept them upon the axe until the blow 
was struck. 

The author (1799- 1863), a French poet and novelist, in 181 6 
entered the Royal Guard. In 1828 he devoted himself entirely 
to literature. His poems raised him to a leading position in the 
new romantic school of poets. His celebrated drama, Chatterton, 
appeared in 1835. The historical novel, Cinq-Mars, attracted 
much attention. 

This story describes the events of this conspiracy against Rich- 
elieu and brings upon the stage of action those concerned in the 
plot. Cinq-Mars is the titular hero. His execution is set forth. 
"De Vigny paints Richelieu as he appeared to the contemporary 
French nobles — the organizer of espionage and assassination — 
and also in his better self as the masterful uncrowned king of 
France, sending his crowned manikin to the front to fight like any 
obscure captain, while he himself planned the victories that set 
France at the head of Europe." 



CHAPTER II 

FROM THE ACCESSION OF LOUIS XIV TO 
THE FRENCH REVOLUTION 

During the next century and a half France is to pass through 
two stages in her political history. What Cardinal Richelieu de- 
signed and exerted all his energies to secure under the reign of 
Louis XIII came to fruition in the Absolutism of Louis XIV. 
Had he lived to that time he would have seen the political struc- 
ture upon which he labored so assiduously completed. These 
principles so carefully worked out and applied in the one reign 
came to their fullest expression and operation in the next. The 
reign of Louis XIV was a brilliant period in certain respects, 
and Absolutism, the supremacy of the Crown, had the best oppor- 
tunity of attaining its highest distinction and justifying its claims. 

That is one stage. In the second, Absolutism fails. From the 
supremacy of the Crown France passes through that national 
experience in which the individual awakens to a sense of his 
prerogatives. The outcome of that awakening was destined to 
be one of the greatest Revolutions of history. With the develop- 
ing consciousness of the race Absolutism could not persist. It 
was out of harmony with the fundamental characteristic of the 
modern era. It was altogether contrary to that to which the ages 
had been struggling, and to attain to which the past had been a 
scaffolding to be torn down when humanity had realized its true 
individualism. Passing from the supremacy of the Crown to 
that of society and the social unit France became an object-lesson, 
not only to itself, but to the world. 

Such a period, combining so much of the great and grand in 
its first stage, and the dissolution of these political ideals in the 
next, furnished a rich field for the writers of historical fiction. 
For the delineation and interpretation of these events the novel- 
ists hare given us many excellent works. 

391 



392 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Reign of Louis XIV 

Louis XIV, known as Louis the Great (i 643-1 715), succeeded 
his father, Louis XIII, at the age of five. Anne of Austria, widow 
of Louis XIII, was proclaimed by Parliament as Regent, and to be 
given liberty of action guided by her own judgment. The Council 
of Regency, which Louis XIII had advised who should have 
control over the acts of Anne, was annulled by the Parliament. 

This long reign represents three distinct periods, the first being 
that of the Administration of Mazarin, who died in 1661, when 
Louis had reached the age of twenty-three ; the second, the Cul- 
mination of Absolutism, from the beginning of his personal reign 
to the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685; the third, the 
Period of Decline, from 1685 to the close of the reign. 

I. Administration of Mazarin 

Just before his death Richelieu requested that Cardinal Ma- 
zarin (1602-1661) be appointed his successor. He received his 
education under the Jesuits in Rome and Spain. He made the 
acquaintance of Richelieu in connection with the negotiations 
which followed the French wars in Italy, and the latter was quick 
to appreciate the abilities of the Italian. He became a French 
subject in 1639, and from that time until Richelieu's death was in 
close association with the great minister. 

In his personal traits he was affable and yet cold, but had that 
versatility that enabled him to accommodate himself to men and 
conditions. Unlike Richelieu, he won the admiration and regard 
of women. He was also unlike his predecessor in that he was 
self-seeking, while Richelieu was controlled by a sincere consid- 
eration for the good of the people. Mazarin never allowed public 
interests to take precedence over his personal aims and ambitions. 

Into the triumphs of Richelieu the new minister entered, and 
for eighteen years, under the Queen's Regency, is to guide the 
affairs of State. 

The Stories 

Life and Adventures of John Marston Hall. 1834. 
George P. R. James 

Between 1648- 1652 a contest existed in France that was known 
as the Fronde, the word derived from the sling used by the boys 
of France in their fightings, and was first applied to the opponents 



THE MODERN ERA 393 

of the Court by some speaker in a debate and afterwards was 
used to designate the opponents of royalty. The first Fronde was 
a movement on the part of Parliament to curtail royal authority. 
The second Fronde was a movement by the great nobles to in- 
crease their power. 

In the first instance, Parliament refused to recognize certain 
decrees regarding taxation, and when Mazarin arrested two mem- 
bers of Parliament an insurrection broke out in which the Parlia- 
ment was victorious. The Court was compelled to accede to its 
demands. In its struggle for constitutional rights the Parliament 
was wholly justifiable. 

This story has its setting in the events of the first Fronde. 
Both Conde and Turenne figure in the story. The former, 
known as the Great Conde, was a famous general. He defeated 
the Spanish at Rocroi in 1643. At the outbreak of the insurrec- 
tion of the Fronde he sided with the Court. At the head of the 
royal army he defeated the Parisians and became dazzled by his 
successes. He placed himself at the head of a new party and held 
Mazarin in contempt. The latter then imprisoned him. When 
he was released he continued his opposition to the Court and 
opened negotiations with Spain. Both Conde and Turenne were 
generals in the Thirty Years' War. Both fought on the side of 
the Crown, but were always opposed to each other. Mazarin 
and the Queen Regent also appear in the story. 

Twenty Years After. 1845. Alexandre Dumas 

In this story the exploits of the four, D'Artagnan, Porthos, 
Athos, Aramis, are recounted. They take service under Mazarin 
and support him in the insurrection of the Fronde. In England 
it is the period of the Revolution, the conflict between Charles I 
and the Parliament, which can be located in these studies by ref- 
erence to the Index. The four Musketeers are commissioned by 
the French minister to aid Cromwell in England in support of 
the Parliamentary troops, but do the very contrary in trying to 
prevent the execution of the king. 

My Sword's My Fortune. 1904. Herbert Hayens 

The Second Fronde was that of the nobles and was quite 
different from the first, having as its basic purpose the acquisition 
of power on the part of the nobles. It was a movement of trivial 



394 HISTORICAL FICTION 

ambitions "broken up into contentious factions, complicated by 
personal jealousies and squabbles, corrupted by the influence of 
dissolute women, entangled in love intrigues." And this was 
true of such men as Conde and Turenne, who exhibited as little 
political wisdom and were as unreliable as the worst characters 
that followed in their train. The ruling principle on the part 
of the great majority was to get out of the conflict the most possi- 
ble for themselves. For three years it kept the country in a 
turmoil. 

In this story the leading participants in this struggle are set 
forth in their distinctive positions. It is a conflict between the 
Court, represented by Mazarin and Anne of Austria, the Queen 
Regent, and the nobles and their leaders. Conde, who had rendered 
the Court a service, demanded exorbitant rewards for himself and 
those with whom he was related, and not only disgusted Mazarin 
but succeeded in making himself obnoxious to Parliament. The 
minister arrested him and imprisoned him and his brother Conti 
and his brother-in-law in Vincennes. Influenced by a personal 
grievance in the way of a Cardinal's hat, De Retz stirred up the 
insurrection anew. Turenne, who was in love with the Duchess 
of Longueville, was induced by her to take the side of the rebels, 
and he formed an alliance with the Spaniards. 

When the Parliament petitioned Anne for the release of the 
prisoners, because of the growing feeling against Mazarin, she was 
compelled to give them their liberty, and Conde was warmly 
received by the people. In a brief time he made himself offensive 
and proceeded to stir up a civil war. Mazarin, who had retired to 
Cologne, now returned to crush Conde, and once more Turenne 
came to the minister's support, abandoning the Frondeurs. The 
two colleagues met in their first clash at Bleneau, and Turenne 
barely averted a disaster to the royalist cause. Again the two 
armies met at Porte Saint-Antoine and Conde would have suf- 
fered a complete defeat, but at the critical moment the daughter 
of Gaston d'Orleans turned the guns of the Bastile upon Tur- 
enne's army and opened the gates to Conde's troops. 

Conde fled to Flanders, others were exiled, among whom was 
the daughter of d'Orleans, the Fronde was crushed and Mazarin 
came off victorious. These insurrections and contests and the 
final outcome are described by this story. 



THE MODERN ERA 395 

Other stories: 

Stray Pearls (1883), by Charlotte M. Yonge. 

The War of Women (1845), D y Alexandre Dumas, in which 
the imprisonment of Conde, as given above, and the part his wife 
played in the insurrection are set forth. 

II. The Acme of Absolutism 

When Mazarin died in 1661 the authority of the Crown was 
firmly established, the country was at peace and the position of 
France among the nations was well secured. The work of the 
two ministers, Richelieu and Mazarin, had paved the way for and 
made possible the supremacy of the absolutism of Louis XIV. 

The young king was in his twenty-third year at the death of 
Mazarin, and could have reigned in his own right some years 
before, but he seemed content to leave the matter of ruling in the 
hands of his minister and exhibited no desire to rule. But now 
that he had taken into his own hand the reins of government, he 
declared that he was sufficient of himself to rule, did not need a 
minister and that upon his authority alone should state documents 
be signed. The acme of absolute monarchy in France was reached 
in his reign, and his idea of kingship may thus be formulated: 
"A king is God's representative and vicegerent on earth. His 
authority is divine because it is vested in him directly by God. No 
division of such authority is possible, nor can it be delegated to 
others, since it inheres entirely in the person of the sovereign. He 
is therefore responsible to God alone. To him, and to him 
only, belongs the right to initiate and decide. No one else pos- 
sesses any political power. He who has given kings to the world 
has willed that they shall be revered as His lieutenants, and has 
reserved to Himself alone the right to examine their conduct." 

The Stories 

The Vicomte de Bragelonne. 1845. Alexandre Dumas 

This story is the continuation of Twenty Years After. The 
titular hero is the son of Athos, one of the four Musketeers. The 
ministry of Mazarin is just closing, and Louis is taking into his 
own hands the reins of government. He married Maria Theresa, 
daughter of Philip IV of Spain, and she and the Queen mother 
appear in the story with a large number of historical personages, 



396 HISTORICAL FICTION 

and the life of the Court. Fouquet, the minister of finance under 
Mazarin and Colbert, who succeeded him upon his fall, are related 
to the movement of affairs. The four Musketeers are involved in 
the difficulties between the king and Fouquet, and they also take 
part in the restoration of Charles II of England. 

A Demoiselle of France. 1910. W. J. Eccott 

Fouquet, Mazarin's minister of finance, was a man of literary 
distinction and of unbridled ambition. His arrogant manner and 
display of wealth aroused the jealousy of the young king. The 
latter also knew that Fouquet was guilty of criminal methods 
in his office and proofs of the same were furnished by Jean- 
Baptiste Colbert. The trial of Fouquet was an extended affair, 
but at last he was convicted of financial corruption and was sen- 
tenced to perpetual imprisonment in the fortress of Pinerolo. 

Colbert now stepped into the place of Fouquet and was given 
the title of Controller-General, and later was given the charge 
of the marine, the colonies, commerce, the affairs of the royal 
household, and was the chief counsellor of the king. The impor- 
tance of his position in the affairs of State is seen in the fact that 
"it was to his advice and agency that what was best in the king's 
administration was really due." 

The fall of Fouquet and elevation of Colbert hold an impor- 
tant place in this story. 

Moliere (1622- 1673), whose real name was Jean Baptiste 
Poquelin, was the greatest of French dramatists. By the time that 
Louis XIV in reality became king, his reputation was established 
by his comedies. He continued to bring out new plays, acting 
the comic parts himself. He became a great favorite with the 
Court, and so pleased the king that he made his company the royal 
company. He contracted an unfortunate marriage with Armande 
Bejart, an actress twenty years younger than himself, by which the 
latter part of his life was saddened. His marriage occurred in 
1662. A few hours after playing his part in The Imaginary 
Invalid he died from an apoplectic stroke. Moliere is one of the 
characters in this story, together with his wife and her sister, who 
are well delineated, and these relations in the life of the great 
dramatist constitute an interesting part of the story. 



THE MODERN ERA 397 

His Indolence of Arras. 1905. W. J. Eccott 

In his dealings with women one of the most abiding attach- 
ments of Louis was his interest in Louise de la Valliere. She is 
described as a "gentle, dreamy, fair-haired, blue-eyed girl." That 
she loved Louis devotedly and sincerely there can be no doubt. 
She bore him two children. When he ceased to care for her, and 
she no longer interested him, she entered a convent, where for the 
balance of her life, a period of thirty years, she committed herself 
in the most rigid manner to religious devotions. 

Tiring of the dreamy Louise the attentions of Louis were now 
bestowed upon the very opposite type of woman — the wife of the 
Marquis of Montespan. She was proud and overbearing, a com- 
manding type of character. And these traits combined with others 
must have attracted Louis, since for fourteen years she remained 
his chief mistress and bore him eight children. It was in no pas- 
sive manner that this haughty woman allowed herself to be aban- 
doned when the time came for Louis to bestow his affections upon 
another. 

These two mistresses occupy an important place in this story, 
also the Bishop of Arras, to whom Mme. de Montespan made her 
confessions. 

The Clash of Arms. 1897. John E. Bloundelle-Burton 

To increase his fame and extend French territory in Europe 
Louis XIV engaged in four wars. The object of the first was the 
conquest of the Spanish Netherlands, based upon the fact that 
his wife was the daughter of Philip IV and that he had a prior 
claim ; the second, against the Dutch Republic ; the third, against 
several states that combined to save their interests against his 
policies and ended with the peace of Ryswick ; the fourth, lasting 
twelve years, was on account of the succession to the Spanish 
throne and ended with the peace of Utrecht. 

The second of these wars was directed against the Dutch Re- 
public (1672- 1 678), whose prosperity Louis regarded with envy, 
and hated them for their independence, their republicanism and 
Protestantism. Conde and Turenne were now the generals of 
his army, which consisted of 120,000 men. In the Grand Alliance 
of the Hague Louis, by his ambitions and cupidity in setting out to 



398 HISTORICAL FICTION 

crush Holland, had succeeded in making half of Europe his enemy. 
By a brilliant strategy Turenne held Alsace, which was regarded 
as lost. He then invaded the Palatinate and met Montecuculli 
near the village of S^ssbach. While taking observations of the 
position of a battery he was struck by a cannon-ball. His death 
was for France a calamity. In 1678 France agreed to peace. The 
king's attempt to conquer Holland was an abject failure, and the 
only gains he realized were Franche-Comte and several places 
in the Spanish Netherlands. 

This story has its historical setting in this war and describes 
the brilliant work of Turenne. The Duke of Marlborough is 
introduced. He fought with the French against Holland, and 
distinguished himself at the siege of Maestricht, and afterwards 
joined Turenne in several campaigns. 

The Red Neighbor. 1908. W. J. Eccott 

The great rival of Colbert was the Marquis of Louvois, the 
Minister for War. While the former was devoting every power 
to build up the prosperity of France, the latter was laboring just 
as strenuously to secure its military supremacy. He reorganized 
the army and made it far more efficient than it had ever been be- 
fore. These men were for a long time rivals in the king's councils, 
but in the end Louvois gained the upper hand, and when Colbert 
died Louvois' place in the king's confidence was definitely secured. 
He cared little for the welfare of the people, while his whole ambi- 
tion was for war and foreign conquest. "As a spur, always ready 
to prick the side of his master's intent, he was henceforth for many 
years to be the evil genius of the king and the country." 

In this story Louvois is the leading character. Turenne is 
introduced and one of the scenes is laid at Sassbach, where Tur- 
enne was killed in the battle as sketched above. La Fontaine also 
appears in the story. His early verses won for him recognition, 
and he was advised to go to Paris. There he established friend- 
ship with Moliere, Boileau, Racine and other men of note, who 
admired and appreciated him for the openness and simplicity of 
his character. But he failed to get into the good graces of Louis 
XIV, who for some time refused to confirm his nomination to the 
French Academy. Up to his time he was the first fable-writer 



THE MODERN ERA 399 

who was a poet, "discovering the deep and secret charm of nature, 
animating it with his inexhaustible and graceful genius, giving 
lessons to men from the example of animals." 



III. Period of Decline 

The death of Colbert was a great loss to France, and to Louis 
the loss of his wisest counsellor. The war had drained the Treas- 
ury and the finances of the country lapsed into a state of anarchy. 
The king's extravagances, bribes and expenditures were directly 
opposed to the policy and reform work of Colbert and created a 
serious problem. 

Not only misfortunes abroad but the conditions at home were 
sufficient to cause the king the greatest uneasiness. Exhausted 
France seemed to be on the raw edge of ruin. The finances were 
in hopeless disorder ; poverty was universal ; even the Court began 
to feel the pinch of want. Then came bad harvests, the fearful 
winter of 1709, general famine, and misery among all classes. 

Under these conditions when Louis opened negotiations for 
peace the allies demanded what he refused to grant, and that he 
should not be required to grant. There was but one thing to do, 
and that was to prolong the war. And now Louis did what he 
did but this once during his long reign — he set aside his principles 
of absolutism and made an earnest appeal to the nation in this 
hour of their great extremity. Its effect upon the nation was 
electrical ; a wave of patriotism swept over the land and the result 
was that he was able to put into the field the largest army he had 
yet sent into the war. When peace came the terms were vastly 
different from those that had before been dictated. 

The last hours of Louis were not altogether peaceful. He 
prayed much and his great anxiety was for the forgiveness of his 
sins. To the Dauphin he said, "My dear child, you are about to 
become the greatest king in the world. Never forget the obliga- 
tions you owe to God. Do not imitate me in my wars. Try to 
maintain peace always with your neighbors, and to help your 
people as much as you possibly can. Follow always good counsels, 
and remember that it is to God that you owe all that you are." 
But it was by his own despotism and misgovernment that he sowed 
the seeds of one of the greatest revolutions of history. 



4 oo HISTORICAL FICTION 

The Stories 
The Frown of Majesty. 1902. Albert Lee 

The widow of Paul Scarron, the novelist and dramatist, who 
had through her husband been introduced to the literary life of 
Paris, was installed in the Court as the governess of the children 
of Louis by Mme. de Montespan. In this capacity she was very 
successful and won the affection of the children. The jealousy 
of the mother was aroused as she began to fear that she had in 
this woman a rival who might supplant her in the affections of the 
king. Between these two women a bitter struggle existed for 
an extended period, but finally, after gaining the interest of the 
king, Mme. Scarron was presented to the Court as the Marquise 
de Maintenon. 

The imperious and self-assertive mistress fought bitterly to 
retain the king's affection, but shortly after the queen's death in 
1683 Mme. de Maintenon was secretly married to the king. This 
union was destined to exert a powerful influence both upon the 
life of the king and that of the Court. She was a clear-headed, 
calculating woman and appeared to be devoutly religious, which 
some critics declared to be unscrupulous hypocrisy. In any case, 
she gave to the life of Louis a still more religious direction, as also 
his policy, and the whole atmosphere of the Court was immedi- 
ately changed. 

Among the historical characters introduced in this story 
Madame de Maintenon occupies an important place. 

The king became suspicious of the Huguenots, and was dis- 
posed to believe that they were disloyal to the Crown. This belief, 
together with his religious bigotry, led to the persecution of the 
Protestants, and in 1685 he revoked the Edict of Nantes, thereby 
withdrawing all protection from those of this faith. It is believed 
that his new wife had something to do in bringing about the revo- 
cation of this edict. 

The Protestant clergy were required to leave France within 
fifteen days, and while their adherents were forbidden to follow 
them, more than 250,000 made their escape in a short time, who 
carried to other countries a knowledge of the things in which 
France excelled. Some of the most desirable people that landed 
in America were these Huguenots. France lost many of her most 
skilled workmen. A member of the French Court declared that 



THE MODERN ERA 401 

this bigoted measure on the part of the king was without the slight- 
est pretext or necessity, that it "depopulated a quarter of the 
realm, ruined its commerce, armed relatives against relatives 
and rilled all the realm with perjury and sacrilege." 

These privations, sufferings and persecution of the Huguenots 
following these new measures are dealt with by this story. The 
hero is the victim of a lettres de cachet and hence to be executed, 
but he makes his escape. In this the story sets forth this diabol- 
ical system. Lettres de cachet were written by order of the king, 
countersigned by a secretary of state, and signed with the seal 
(cachet) of the king. By this system any one might be impris- 
oned, exiled or executed without trial. It "violated all safeguards 
of personal liberty, such as are the pride of the English laws with 
its rights of trial by jury and habeas corpus" 

Aimee. 1871. Agnes Giberne 

Various measures were adopted by which to force the Protes- 
tants to renounce their faith, one of which was the placing of 
households at the mercy of brutal soldiers called the dragonnades, 
who took up their quarters in these homes and assumed every 
liberty. 

These outrageous measures inflicted upon the Huguenots are 
described by this story, and also the escaping of the people to 
England. It takes us to England, where James II is conducting 
his persecutions with a high hand, and relates the case of the 
Seven Bishops, who were tried before a packed jury, but were 
acquitted. On that same day an invitation was sent to the Prince 
of Orange to invade England. These facts can be located by 
reference to the Index. 

Other stories : 

Asylum Christi (1877), by E. Gilliat, which deals with these 
persecutions and the escape of many to England, and the insur- 
rection in the Cevennes, which lasted for three years. 

The King's Signet (1899), by Eliza F. Pollard, in which 
Madame de Maintenon is portrayed, and describes the experi- 
ences of the Huguenots when the Edict of Nantes was revoked. 

The Huguenot (1838), by G. P. R. James, setting forth the 
measure of the dragonnades. Louvois, the War Minister, is 



402 HISTORICAL FICTION 

introduced, also Bossuet, who declared that the revocation act was 
a miracle. 

Done and Dared in Old France (1907), by Deborah Alcock, in 
which the sturdy spirit of a preacher is displayed who persisted 
in returning to minister to his people after the Edict of Nantes 
had been revoked and all Protestant ministers were driven from 
France. 

In the Day of Adversity. 1896. John E. B. Burton 

Three years after Louis had revoked the Edict of Nantes 
James II was driven from the English throne, which was given to 
William of Orange. He was the bitter enemy of Louis XIV and 
fully understood the religious designs of the French king. James 
fled to France and was welcomed by his friend Louis, who took 
up his cause. He was soon at war with the League of Augsburg. 
The hopes of James were crushed by the battle of the Boyne 
(1690). The great naval engagement at La Hogue (1692) was 
such a severe blow to the sea power of France that Louis discov- 
ered the futility of attempting to restore the Stuart line to the 
throne of England. 

In this story the hero is involved in trouble over the heirship to 
a dukedom, which results in a duel. He is sent to the galleys, 
from which he manages to escape and reaches an English warship 
and participates in the battle of La Hogue. Sir George Rooke, 
who commanded in this battle and led a night attack upon a part 
of the French fleet which had escaped into the harbor out of 
reach of the English ships, is introduced into the story. 

Love Is Life. 1910. Mrs. Stacpoole Kenny 

On the costly buildings at Versailles and Saint-Germain Louis 
had expended vast sums of money, as also on royal fetes, which 
helped to impoverish his treasury. In the great literary produc- 
tions of the age it was Versailles which gave the law in literature 
as in everything else. In these things the Court of Louis XIV 
set the pace for Europe. When the king married Mme. de Main- 
tenon a profound change was brought about, not only in the life 
of the king, but also that of the Court. The brilliant fetes which 
had long been the glory of Versailles were now things of the past. 

In this story is given a picture of these courts and their life. 



THE MODERN ERA 403 

Sarsfield appears in the story. It will be remembered that he 
served under James II in Ireland, and after the rebellion was 
crushed by William of Orange the rebels were given the choice 
to go to France. Sarsfield and many others entered the French 
service. He distinguished himself in the battle of Steinkirk under 
Luxemburg, who, in his military abilities, has often been com- 
pared with Conde. He took possession of Mons in his conflict 
with William of Orange, and won the battle of Steinkirk in such 
a skillful manner as to reflect great credit upon himself. He was 
worn out both by war and the pleasures of the French Court, for 
he was even more corrupt in his private life than his age. He is 
one of the personages in this story. 

Flower O' the Corn. 1902. Samuel R. Crockett 

As has already been noted, in various instances ministers who 
were driven from the country by the revocation of the Edict of 
Nantes returned to their flocks, facing death in doing so. It 
created a tremendous enthusiasm in Cevennes ; maidens were 
inspired with religious utterances that stirred the populace. To 
stifle this wave of religious fervor M. de Baville had 300 children 
imprisoned at Uzes, and then sent them to the galleys, but to no 
avail. 

The insurrection of the Camisards (so called from the camise 
or blouse worn by the peasants) in the Cevennes, 1702-04, was led 
by Jean Cavalier, Roland and others, and was only crushed when 
the whole region had been devastated. This movement under the 
leadership of . two shepherd-soldiers was finally put down by 
Villars. It greatly resembled, in its warlike ardor and pious 
enthusiasm, the Scotch Cameronians in their struggle for their 
religious convictions. 

This story is a striking presentation of this insurrection under 
Jean Cavalier. It sets forth the religious fervor by which the 
Camisards were dominated. 

Other stories : 

The Cobler of Nimes (1900), by Mary Imlay Taylor. 

The Scourge of God (1898), by J. E. B. Burton, in which this 
Camisard revolt is strongly presented. Baville, noted above, and 
his daughter figure in the story, as also Jean Cavalier, Villars and 
the queen. 



404 HISTORICAL FICTION 

In the Irish Brigade. 1900. George A. Henty 

In the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714) there were 
three rivals to the throne : the Dauphin of France, the Prince of 
Bavaria and the Emperor Leopold. England was brought into 
the war by the great blunder of Louis XIV when, in violation of 
the treaty of Ryswick, he captured the barrier fortresses in the 
Netherlands, and acknowledged as king of England the son of 
James II, an insult that stung the English people to the quick. 

In the second period of the war was fought the great battle 
of Oudenarde (1708) in which the Duke of Marlborough deter- 
mined to strike a decisive blow. His force, together with that 
of the allies, amounted to 80,000 against a French force of 100,- 
000. The French were utterly routed and suffered a heavy loss, 
and many prisoners were taken. Then followed the capitulation 
of Ghent, Bruges and Lille. 

This story has its setting in this War of the Spanish Succes- 
sion and describes the battle of Oudenarde in which an officer 
of the Irish Brigade in the service of the French distinguishes 
himself. Another story dealing with the same period and events, 
and that introduces Fenelon and his good work is The Laird's 
Legacy (1896) by Mary H. Debenham. 

It was in the reign of Louis XIV that the Golden Age of 
French literature appeared. Dramatists, essayists, poets, are rep- 
resented among her men of genius. Corneille founded the classi- 
cal school of French dramatists, while his younger contemporary, 
Racine, is styled by a French critic as "the most perfect of our 
tragedians, and perhaps of our poets." Moliere in his comedies 
ridiculed the vices of the time. To these may be added the con- 
tributions of La Fontaine and Fenelon and the writings of Pas- 
cal. Among the writers of that time are Voltaire, Rousseau and 
Montesquieu. To this period belonged Descartes, the originator 
of modern philosophical thought, Fermat the mathematician, 
Picard the astronomer, Tournefort the botanist, Mariotte the 
physicist, while among foreign scientists of distinction whom 
Louis invited to Paris were Cassini, the first director of the 
Observatory, Huyghens and Roemer. 

Great was the influence of Louis upon Europe which borrowed 
his language, and casting away the religious restraints of an ear- 
lier era abandoned itself to a gay and festive life. About the 



THE MODERN ERA 405 

king the nobility of the French Court swarmed, pressing claims 
for kingly favor. Culture was encouraged, the king giving his 
patronage to poets, scholars and artists. Libraries were estab- 
lished, academies of art and science were founded and opportuni- 
ties for astronomical observations provided. "The palace at Ver- 
sailles, and its statues, fountains and gardens, furnished a pat- 
tern which all the rest of Europe aspired to copy. Everything 
there wore an artificial stamp, from the trimming of the trees to 
the etiquette of the ballroom. But there was a splendor and fas- 
cination which caused the French fashions, the French language 
and literature, with the levity and immorality which traveled in 
their company, to spread in the higher circles of other European 



Reign of Louis XV 

Louis XV (171 5-1774) was the grandson of Louis XIV. He 
placed his tutor, Cardinal Fleury, at the head of affairs and after 
his death (1743) he cared for nothing but pleasure. In 1725 he 
married Maria, daughter of Stanislas Leszczynski, who for a 
time was on the Polish throne. Louis fell under the influence of 
his mistresses, especially Madame de Pompadour and Madame du 
Barry. It in no sense concerned him how misgovernment would 
affect the kingdom or the reign of his successors. He felt no 
responsibility for existing conditions. During his reign it is es- 
timated that 150,000 lettres de cachet were issued, many of these 
having been sold for money. The Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle re- 
stored to France her lost colonies, but at the close of his reign the 
country was burdened with debt and wholly demoralized. 

The Stories 

The Chevalier d'Harmental. 1843. Alexandre Dumas 

In the interval between the death of Louis XIV in 171 5 and 
the time when Louis XV himself assumed the government, the 
country was under the regency of the Duke of Orleans, while the 
Abbe Dubois had the direction of the foreign policy of France, 
a man utterly unscrupulous in the manner in which he sought 
power and the means of securing it. 

Cardinal Alberoni was the minister of Philip V of Spain, who 
determined to secure for Spain the possessions in Italy which by 



406 HISTORICAL FICTION 

the Treaty of Utrecht were ceded to Austria. It resulted in a war 
in which Austria, France, England and Holland opposed the de- 
signs of Spain and completely defeated her. 

In the meantime, however, a conspiracy took form, largely 
through the efforts of the wife of the Duke of Maine (a son of 
Mme. de Montespan, a mistress of Louis XIV), who hated the 
Regent and plotted to overthrow him. Under the direction of 
Alberoni she gathered a circle of anti-Orleanist agitators about her 
which was used by Cellamare, the Spanish ambassador, to create 
a conspiracy powerful enough to overthrow the Regent and Du- 
bois. The plot turned out to be a veritable farce. The leaders were 
shut up in prison for a time while Cellamare was expelled from 
the country. 

This plot furnishes the setting for Dumas' novel. It brings 
out the plan followed by Dubois in allowing the plot to ripen suf- 
ficiently and then expose it, which he did by securing the arrest 
of one of the agents with the papers in his possession. 

This same conspiracy gives the setting of At Odds With the 
Regent by Burton E. Stevenson. 

Servants of Sin. 1900. John E. Bloundelle-Burton 

In 1720 a terrible plague broke out in Marseilles which car- 
ried off 80,000 people. It occurred at the time of the Mississippi 
Bubble, the failure of Law's scheme. The Bank, properly man- 
aged, would have been of great advantage to the country. The 
people who had invested their money became infuriated and Law 
had to flee to save his life. Many people interpreted the plague 
as a dispensation of Providence sent upon France for its par- 
ticipation in this scheme, but the trouble with that view of the 
matter is that the punishment fell upon the wrong people. 

The place and time of this story are Marseilles and the great 
plague. It sets forth the experiences of a girl subjected to the 
evil treatment of a duke, and as a felon is sent to New Orleans, 
from which situation she is delivered by her lover. 

The Quest of Glory. 1912. Marjorie Bowen 

In this story is given the account of the retreat from Pragiu 
in the War of the Austrian Succession. Marshal Bell-Isle was 



THE MODERN ERA 407 

the grandson of Fouquet. It was said of him that he had more 
wit than judgment, and more fire than force, but he aimed very 
high. He dreamed that by revising the map of Europe he could 
form a zone of small states and thus protect France against the 
schemes of Austria. The shifting conditions in this war were 
such that France became practically isolated. Bell-Isle's army 
in Bohemia found itself in great danger. In getting away the 
Marshal sacrificed 1,200 men, but not a cannon or flag. 

Chevert still occupied Prague with 6,000 sick soldiers. The 
Prince of Lorraine called upon him to surrender. Chevert re- 
plied that if he were not granted the honors of war he would set 
fire to the whole city and die with it. He made his departure 
and joined Bell-Isle at Egra. The retreat from Prague was com- 
pared with the retreat of the Ten Thousand of ancient times. 

Petticoat Government. 1910. Baroness Orczy 

In 1745 in the Jacobite uprising, Charles Edward Stuart, the 
Young Pretender, left Nantes in a privateer accompanied by a 
French man-of-war. An English ship attacked and disabled the 
latter so that when Charles reached Scotland he was without sup- 
plies and had but seven followers. The reader will remember 
what happened to him and his cause at Culloden, and how, dis- 
guised in female attire, Flora Macdonald enabled him to escape. 

This story has its setting in these circumstances in which plots 
were fomented in connection with the Pretender's claims, and the 
trip to Scotland to establish them by this new uprising. 

One of the most notable mistresses of Louis XV was Madame 
de Pompadour. In his utter unconcern of the consequences fol- 
lowing misgovernment Louis said, "Things will outlast our time," 
to which his mistress added, "After us, the deluge !" Through her 
influence Louis declared the society of Jesuits to be a menace to 
France, and by a royal edict it was suppressed in 1764. A woman 
of great beauty and charm she became the ruling star at Ver- 
sailles. She sought political power and secured it ; she appointed 
and dismissed officers and interfered in the matter of military 
campaigns. During the nineteen years that she exercised this 
control, at times acting practically as the Prime Minister of 
France, "she absorbed something like 36,000,000 livres from the 



408 HISTORICAL FICTION 

State Treasury, nor did her grasp upon the government relax till 
the very day of her death in 1764." 

This woman, representing so much power and prodigality, 
figures in this story. 

Other Stories : 

The Palace of Danger (1908) by Mabel Wagnalls, in which 
the ruling position of Madame Pompadour in the Court of Ver- 
sailles is set forth. The Seven Years' War is introduced, the 
closing struggle between Austria and Prussia for the possession 
of Silesia, and between France and England for colonial su- 
premacy on the sea. In these critical times when men like Pitt 
were handling the destinies of Great Britain Madame Pompadour 
and her whims were swaying the interests of France. The battle 
of Rossbach is described, in which the French are defeated by 
Frederick the Great. 

The Hand of Leonore (1904) by Hugh Noel Williams, in 
which the same period is presented, and also relates the battle 
of Rossbach. 

The Order of Release. 1912. H. de Vere Stackpoole 

Another notable mistress of Louis XV was Madame du Barry, 
by whom he was ruled after 1769. She was even more disrepu- 
table than her predecessor, Madame de Pompadour. She was a 
handsome, vulgar woman who would sacrifice her very soul for 
money and jewels. When France was on the brink of bankruptcy 
she demanded and received from the funds of the Treasury over 
12,000,000 livres, and it is said that within a few years she cost 
the royal treasury 180,000,000 livres. Her supreme influence over 
Louis continued for the balance of his life. 

In this story Madame du Barry appears with Louis and Mar- 
shal de Richelieu, also the Duke of Choiseul. The latter owed his 
elevation to Madame de Pompadour. He aspired to restore the 
high position of France in the councils of Europe. He secured 
the marriage of the Dauphin with Marie Antoinette. After the 
death of Madame de Pompadour he had the courage to oppose 
Madame du Barry and that brought his downfall. His ministry 
marked the one bright period from the death of Fleury to the end 
of this reign, and when he left the city after he was dismissed he 



THE MODERN ERA 409 

received the enthusiastic acclamations of the populace. Other 
historical personages appear in the story, Rousseau, De Launay, 
etc. 

Memoirs of a Physician. 1848. Alexandre Dumas 

Cagliostro (1743- 1795), whose name was Giuseppe Balsamo, 
was an Italian adventurer. He traveled over various countries — 
Europe, Greece, Asia, Italy, France, Germany, England — and 
gathered a certain amount of knowledge that he used for swind- 
ling purposes. He represented himself as philosopher, physician, 
alchemist and necromancer. His wife, a clever woman, assisted 
him in his frauds. In 1785 he was entangled in the disgraceful 
affair of the diamond necklace, and spent some time in prison. 
When released he again pursued his fraudulent practices, and 
finally he was imprisoned for life. His wife shut herself up in a 
convent. 

These are the memoirs of this swindler, and the story is the 
continuation of Joseph Balsamo. It details the events of the reign 
of Louis XV from the close of the ministry of Choiseul, as given 
above, and carries us into the first years of the Revolution. It 
describes the decline of the monarchy. The king and his mis- 
tress squandered the public money, and his measures brought ruin 
and misery. Hatred for the king on the part of his subjects in- 
creased and finally he was seized with smallpox, from which 
he died, and thus was closed the most disreputable reign in French 
history. Instead of mourning his death it was the occasion of gen- 
eral rejoicing. These events and attitudes of the people to their 
monarch are displayed in this story. 

Reign of Louis XVI 

Louis XVI was the grandson of Louis XV. He married Marie 
Antoinette, the daughter of Maria Theresa of Austria. He came 
to the throne when the country was demoralized and sunk in debt, 
and when the American Revolution was just beginning. At the 
commencement of his reign Louis exercised good judgment in the 
appointment of Turgot as minister of finance. The latter was 
a man of ability and intelligence and clearly understood the state 
of financial ruin to which the government had been brought by 
extravagance and corruption. His motto comprised three things : 
"No bankruptcy, no increase of taxation, no loans." Voltaire de- 



410 HISTORICAL FICTION 

clared that his edict establishing free trade in grain was the be- 
ginning of "a new heaven and a new earth." 

The measures of Turgot put an end to the lawless profiting 
under the old abuses which measures created opposition in which 
the queen joined. The weak king, possessed of little ability, dis- 
missed Turgot and repealed his reforms. Necker succeeded him, 
a man of honest intentions, but of limited understanding of the 
needs of the moment. 

For 175 years the Estates-General had been ignored, but now 
in this financial stress the king called upon this body and set aside 
the principle of absolute monarchy. Absolutism had failed. When 
that body met and agreed that they would not separate until "the 
constitution of the realm was established and fixed upon solid 
foundations" the kingly order was defied and ignored, and the 
French revolution had begun. 

In this division of the period, we are following the events to 
the beginning of the Revolution, and not to the execution of the 
king. The next chapter will be devoted to the Revolution. 

The Story 
The Queen's Necklace. 1849. Alexandre Dumas 

Marie Antoinette was but fifteen years of age when she mar- 
ried the Dauphin. Her contempt for ceremonies and the freedom 
of conduct to which she had been accustomed at home brought 
her into conflict with the dignity of the Court. It gave rise to 
scandalous reports, and while the imputations were no doubt 
groundless, yet they told against her reputation. 

The queen fully appreciated the fact that she was superior to 
Louis in mental qualities and power of action, and constantly 
meddled in the affairs of State. She was antagonistic to liberal 
ideas and opposed reform measures, and the influence she exer- 
cised over Louis was for evil and not for good. 

The two ministers, Turgot and Necker, had insisted upon 
economy, but the queen carried out her own extravagant notions, 
consulting no interests but her own. On the festivities at Ver- 
sailles she squandered money in the most lavish manner, and con- 
ducted things on a scale of the most prodigal magnificence. 

The reputation the queen had won for herself was exemplified 
in the attitude of the people toward her in the matter of the Dia- 



THE MODERN ERA 411 

mond Necklace. This necklace had been made for Madame du 
Barry, whom Louis dismissed from the Court, and was valued at 
1,600,000 livres. It was in the possession of the jeweler. Cardi- 
nal de Rohan, a vain, dissipated courtier, had lost the favor of the 
queen, and was anxious to be restored to her good graces. He 
knew that she was deeply interested in this necklace and wanted 
to purchase it secretly, and by acting for her in securing it he 
believed would win her favor and he would retrieve his former 
position. 

There was at the Court a notorious adventuress, Jeanne de la 
Motte, who, together with the charlatan and fraud, Cagliostro, 
seduced Rohan by promises to secure this necklace for the queen. 
He obtained it and a forged acceptance of the bill in the name 
of Marie Antoinette. Then Jeanne sold the necklace and the 
Cardinal, thus duped, was unable to pay the bill. The matter was 
brought before the king, and as the Cardinal was about to cele- 
brate Mass he was arrested and imprisoned in the Bastile. He was 
tried and acquitted, it being evident that he was the dupe of 
rogues, while the queen was innocent of any complicity in the mat- 
ter. The adventuress was placed in confinement. The queen, 
thus brought into the matter, was anxious to see the Cardinal 
condemned because of the fact that he committed himself to pur- 
chasing her favor, together with the fact that the people were 
well aware of her notorious extravagance and believed she had a 
part in the scheme. 

This story contains the account of this scandal. It sets forth 
the manner in which the adventuress impersonates the queen. 
The Cardinal had a meeting at night in the garden with a woman 
whom he supposed to be the queen, and it was whispered to him 
that he might hope for forgiveness, and thus the queen was com- 
promised until the impersonator was exposed. Balsamo (Cag- 
liostro) plays the part of a prophet in this story. Mesmer had 
brought from Germany his mysterious revelations, from whom 
the word mesmerism has sprung, and he is introduced. 

This sketching of the period from the accession of Louis XIV 
to the conditions under Louis XVI sets forth the stages through 
which France passed during these three reigns. We see the at- 
tempt of Absolutism under Louis the Great and its dismal failure 
under the weak Louis XVI. "Through the memorable winter 



4 i2 HISTORICAL FICTION 

of 1788-89 all France, on the tiptoe of expectation, was awaiting 
the one great event — the meeting of its ancient representative 
Parliament — which, as was universally believed, was to inaugu- 
rate a new era of freedom, justice and prosperity for the entire 
people." But on the contrary, they were on the verge of a revo- 
lution that was to shake the nation from center to circumference. 



CHAPTER III 

THE FRENCH REVOLUTION 

There are two ways in which this great Revolution may be 
considered. To regard it as one would a wild, senseless mob let 
loose, a work of mere destruction and pulling to pieces, a casting 
aside of all restraints and an abandonment of all moral and relig- 
ious institutions with the setting up of the guillotine and the 
cutting off of heads by the score, a wild, unreasoning frenzy 
committed to destruction and bloodshed, would be to conceive of 
a hideous and revolting monstrosity. If it were simply that, it 
would have had little significance in the affairs of the world. It 
would have had no effect outside of the tinie of its existence, and 
would have passed out of sight as a great disturbance, a mam- 
moth riot, in the hands of a body of uncontrolled, irresponsible 
people. 

So far from that being a true or intelligent view, "the French 
Revolution, considered in its startling and tragic events, in its 
radical principles and in its momentous results and far-reaching 
influence, forms one of the most important epochs of modern 
history. France was but the center, from which burst forth and 
spread abroad through all Europe this transforming energy. It 
was an extreme and violent reaction from absolutism in govern- 
ment and from aristocracy in society ; hence its influence was 
alike profound on government and society." 

It was a time of uprooting, destruction, and bloodshed but 
these were the consequences of existing conditions, of ideas and 
institutions, from which the people clamored to be free. The peo- 
ple had awakened to a sense of their condition, the manner in 
which they had been fettered and deprived of their rights. And 
in this awakening they came to see the enormity of the political 
and social crime that had been committed against them. Men had 
taken note of such democratic institutions as prevailed in Great 
Britain and set forth the facts, had drawn comparisons and em- 
phasized the differences. Hence, what lay at the foundation of 

413 



414 HISTORICAL FICTION 

this great arising was an awakening of mind and a clearer per- 
ception of the rights of the individual. 

The French Revolution was modern to the core. It was a 
demand for liberty and equality. It was modern in its liberation 
and elevation of the many; in its struggle and contest with tyr- 
anny ; in its enthusiasm, aspiration and inspiration ; in its break- 
ing away from the moorings of an order of things that kept them 
chained, an absolutism that in principle and practice was rotten 
to the core. Such a Revolution cannot be justly interpreted from 
its crimes and excesses. "Neither can it be rightly and fully 
understood by a near or narrow view. For its clear comprehen- 
sion there is required a long look backward and forward, at its 
causes and results, together with an impartial weighing of its good 
with its evil. It is the mighty movement which convulsed and 
transformed France, and whose persuasive influence has leavened 
society and revolutionized governments." 

The Revolution extended from 1789 to 1799 and may be di- 
vided into three periods. 

Historical Outline. 

I. From the Beginning of the Revolution to the National Con- 

vention, 1 789- 1 792. 

1. The States-General and the Constituent Assembly, 

1789-91. 

2. The Legislative Assembly, 1791-92. The War with 

Austria. 

II. The National Convention, 1792-95. The Republic. 

1. The Girondins and Jacobins. 

2. Trial and Execution of Louis XVI and Marie An- 

toinette, 1793. 

3. The Revolutionary Government. 

4. The Fall of the Girondins. 

5. The Reign of Terror, 1793-94. 

The Fall of Robespierre. 
The New Constitution. 

III. The Directory, 1795-99. 

1. The Rise of Napoleon. His Campaigns and Expe- 

ditions. 

2. End of the Directory. 



THE MODERN ERA 415 

I. To the National Convention 

The causes of the French Revolution may be briefly summed 
up. 

1. Arbitrary and corrupt administration of Government. Ex- 
ecutive ministers and the legislative assembly were under the 
control of the king, and the king became a despot. Rich offices 
were sold to the highest bidders. Absolutism became despotism. 

2. Loss of respect for the throne. The debauchery of Louis 
XV and his weak policy dissipated what reverence there had been 
for royalty. 

3. Inequality and favoritism. Those who were able to pay 
for it were raised to distinction by the king. In 1789 France de- 
manded equality and fraternity. Nearly two-thirds of all the 
land was held by the nobles and the clergy, which brought only 
burdens to the poor. 

4. Taxation and legislation. The weight of heavy taxes fell 
upon the common people, for the collection of which special courts 
were created. Two hundred and eighty-five law codes existed 
in the kingdom, and no peasant could know sufficient law to be 
safe outside of his home district. The legal class almost out- 
numbered the nobility, and drew their plunder from disputes 
over intricate laws. Justice as well as office went to the highest 
bidder. 

5. Intellectual awakening. Aside from this the existing con- 
ditions would never have caused such an eruption. The English 
system of government had been investigated by Voltaire, who 
devoted his brilliant literary abilities to the exposure and criticism 
of the French regime. Rousseau, in his Social Contract, declared 
that "all power comes from the people, and they alone should 
determine the manner of their government." As great as was 
the power that Voltaire wielded, the first place among the pre- 
cursors of the Revolution is occupied by Rousseau. Mallet du 
Pan declared that he "had a hundred times more readers among 
the middle and lower classes than Voltaire." To this same end 
the works of Diderot and Montesquieu contributed. The cur- 
rent of thought was thus in a revolutionary direction. Montes- 
quieu had drawn attention to the liberty secured by the English 
constitution. Voltaire had dwelt on human rights — the rights 
of the individual. Rousseau had expatiated on the sovereign 



416 HISTORICAL FICTION 

right of the majority. And to these agencies should be added the 
influence of the American Revolution, which was just then tri- 
umphant, and of the Declaration of Independence, with its proc- 
lamation of human rights, and the foundation of government in 
contract and the consent of the people. 

The States-General, the election of which took place during 
the winter of 1788-89, consisted of 1,200 members. The last 
sessions of that body were held 175 years before. It emphasized 
five things : first, the general state of suffering ; second, equal taxa- 
tion ; third, personal liberty ; fourth, freedom of the press ; fifth, 
finances to be under the control of the States-General. 



The Stories 

The Taking of the Bastile. 1853. Alexandre Dumas 

The Bastile was the state prison and citadel of Paris, and con- 
fined persons of rank and victims of the intrigues of the Court, 
and thus became a synonym of oppression and persecution. In 
1789 a Parisian mob attacked the fortress, which was in charge 
of Governor Delaunay. The Royal Guard with artillery forced 
the Governor to drop the drawbridge. The Governor was slain 
and the Bastile was destroyed. Its site is marked by a bronze 
statue. This was the initial act of the Revolution. 

The capture of this citadel is one of the most stirring scenes 
in this story. Leading personages, royal and revolutionary, are 
introduced. 

The reader is referred to "The Attack on the Bastile," by 
Lafayette. 

The Red Fleur-de-Lys. 1911. May Wynne 

This story deals with what is known as the White Terror. 
It was a reign of violence instituted by those who returned to 
Southern France. It was prosecuted against the Reds for what 
they had suffered during the revolutionary horrors. The opera- 
tions of those who figured in this Terror are described by this 
story. 



THE MODERN ERA 417 

A Golden Trust. 1905. Theo. Douglas 

In August 1792 was issued a statement that the object of the 
allies, Austria, Prussia, Sardinia, was to suppress the anarchy in 
France and to restore the monarchy. It was known that the king 
was in secret negotiations with Austria, and the result was a tre- 
mendous outburst of anger. Then followed an attack by an 
armed crowd on the Tuileries. The Swiss Guard was cut to 
pieces. The Commune imprisoned the royal family in the tower 
of the Temple. In the following month panic seized Paris when 
they learned that the Austrians were on their way to the city. 
A band of assassins, hired by the Commune, broke into the 
prisons, which were supposed to be occupied by royalists, and for 
five days massacred the inmates. The beautiful Madame de Lam- 
balle was among the victims. Her head was placed on a pike 
and shown to the queen at a window of the Temple. 

These horrors are described by this story in which the leaders 
of this time figure. 

Other stories : 

The Queen's Fillet (1911), by P. A. Sheehan, in which is de- 
scribed the slaughtering of the Swiss Guard. 

The Year One (1901), by John E. B. Burton. 

Nicole (1905), by Owen Johnson, which portrays the horrors 
of the massacre when the Tuileries were stormed. 

The Reds of the Midi. 1896. Felix Gras 

The Assembly deprived the king of his military support, and 
mobilized at Soissons 20,000 federal soldiers drawn from various 
sections of the country. The battalion from Marseilles marched 
into Paris singing their famous hymn, the war-song of the French 
Republic. The words were composed by Rouget de lTsle on the 
occasion of a body of volunteers leaving Strassburg for the war 
against Austria and Prussia, and was entitled by him War-Song 
of the Army of the Rhine. But from the circumstance of this 
battalion from Marseilles, singing it as they came into Paris, it 
has come to be called the Marseillaise. 

This author (1 844-1 901) was born at Malemort, Vaucluse. 
After settling in Avignon he was for a considerable time a justice 
of the peace. During this period he was brought into contact with 



4i8 HISTORICAL FICTION 

the originators of the modern Provencal revival. This historical 
novel, "The Reds of the Midi," was first published in New York. 

This story is a graphic description of this instance of this gath- 
ering of the troops. This battalion participated in the storming 
of the Tuileries. 

The Girondin. 1911. Hilaire Belloc 

Following the massacre, noted above, partly the result of the 
defeat of the French army, on September 20 the tide turned and 
the French were victorious in the battle of Valmy which for a 
time quieted the disorder in Paris. The Austrians thus thrown 
back the prospects looked brighter for French arms. The day 
following the victory the Legislative Assembly ceased to exist 
and the National Assembly became a fact. Both the overthrow 
of the monarchy and the defeat of the Assembly were brought 
about by the Commune. 

This story has its setting in the struggle between the French 
and the Austrians. It describes the battle of Valmy, in which the 
young soldier of the story, righting with the army of the Republic, 
is killed. 

II. The National Convention 

The Convention was rent by two parties, the Jacobins and the 
Girondins. The latter were the advocates of moderation, were 
willing to temporize, and were supported by the middle classes 
who were disposed to uphold property and order. The Jacobins 
were radicals of the most uncompromisng type, who made their 
appeal to the mob. While the Girondins tried to hinder destruc- 
tive measures, the Jacobins demanded that the Revolution should 
be carried to greater extremes. There was another point on 
which they were divided : "the Girondins deriving their support 
from the provinces, stood for the independence of the Convention 
and the rights of the departments against the domination of the 
Commune of Paris. The Jacobins, who depended upon the Com- 
mune, advocated a strongly centralized government and the su- 
premacy of the capital in the State." While the Girondins were 
fairly homogeneous as a class, the Jacobins consisted of a mixed 
crowd held together by a common hatred for their opponents 
and by their passion for power. 



THE MODERN ERA 419 

The Stories 

The Countess de Charny. 1853. Alexandre Dumas 

In 1790 Louis swore allegiance to the new Constitution brought 
out under the Constituent Assembly, to which Constitution he 
entertained the most bitter and hostile feelings. His next move 
was the most indiscreet thing he could have done, and that was to 
escape from Paris, which was probably advised by the queen. On 
June 20 they left the city, but by some misfortune, instead of get- 
ting to Metz, as they designed, got no further than Varennes. 
Here they were arrested and brought back to the city. His 
brother (afterwards Louis XVIII), who fled on the same night, 
succeeded in getting to Brussels. There was a well-defined sus- 
picion that the king was scheming with foreign powers, and these 
were established when a document of his was found that he had 
left behind in which he declared his hostility to the new Consti- 
tution. 

This story follows the events of this period and describes the 
flight of the king and queen, their arrest and return to the city. 
The mobilization of troops, the war with Austria, the scene at 
the Tuileries, and political movements are portrayed. 

A committee was now commissioned to bring in a report on 
the king's conduct. Robespierre argued that he should be exe- 
cuted without any legal process, which was rejected. He was 
brought before the Convention and charged with conspiracy 
against public liberty and the safety of the nation. His counsel 
appointed to defend him were strong men, and at the close of the 
year (1792) he was found guilty, and when the vote was taken 
he nearly escaped the death penalty. He had borne himself 
throughout with dignity, and in the supreme moment his courage 
supported him. Standing on the scaffold he started to speak, 
protesting his innocence, but his voice was drowned by the drums 
and then his head fell by the guillotine. This was in January, 
1793- 

These tragic scenes occupy an important place in this story, 
in which are introduced the leading personages of the time — 
Danton, Mirabeau, Robespierre, etc. 



4 2o HISTORICAL FICTION 

No Surrender. 1900. George A. Henty 

The sensation which the execution of Louis XVI created 
swept over Europe, which more completely united the foes of 
France. Reverses came to French arms when the allies took the 
offensive. While the situation took on serious aspects from 
abroad new troubles at home arose. The provinces became hostile, 
and in the west, where monarchical sympathies were alive and 
active, opposition to the breaking up of the old order manifested 
itself in the uprising in Vendee. 

Vendee is in the west part on the Bay of Biscay. When the 
Republic issued a proclamation that 300,000 men were to be 
drafted for the army the Vendee rose in rebellion that was 
attended with frightful consequences. These western provinces 
were also fired with indignation because of the suppression of the 
Church, the nobility and the throne. 

The Girondins had opposed the measure of the Commune for 
special legislation, and the rabble incited by the utterances of 
Marat and others demanded the blood of the "anti-patriots." The 
western and southern provinces favored the Girondins. When 
the Jacobins arrested twenty-two leaders of the Gironde, the 
insurrection burst into a flame in Toulon, Bordeaux, Grenoble, 
Marseilles, Caen, Lyons and other cities. The insurgents in 
Vendee, under the peasant chief Cathelineau and under the 
Vendee leader Henri du La Roche jaquelein, swept everything 
before them. Marat, the Jacobin leader, was assassinated by 
Charlotte Corday of Caen. At Nantes the Vendeans were re- 
pulsed in disorder by the forces of Robespierre, but not until 
the end of the year was the insurrection crushed by Kleber and 
Marceau. 

The course of this insurrection is well presented in this story, 
showing the successes of the insurgents in their movement to the 
walls of Nantes, and their conflict with the troops of the Republic. 

Ninety-Three. 1872. Victor Hugo 

This unusual story of the French Revolution lays the scene in 
Brittany in 1793. A tower defended by the Royalists is besieged 
by the Republicans. The setting of the town on fire and the rescue 
of the children in the tower by the leader of the Royalists is a 



THE MODERN ERA 421 

remarkable portrayal. Leaders of the Revolution, Robespierre 
and Danton and others are introduced. 

Storm and Treasure. 1910. H. C. Bailey 

Great as was the Reign of Terror in Paris, it was by no means 
confined to that city. In some of the provinces it assumed a still 
more monstrous form. Lyons was one of the cities that had re- 
volted and Collot-d'Herbois, Cauthon and Fouche were commis- 
sioned to treat that city to the Terror, which they did with the 
most atrocious kind of slaughtering. Carrier, the agent of the 
Convention, was likewise employed at Nantes. Executions by 
the guillotine amounted to several hundred a day, but that was 
too slow and tedious, so Carrier instituted the system of whole- 
sale drownings (Noyades), and within four months he was able to 
report some 15,000 victims. 

This wholesale system of murdering under Carrier is brought 
out in this story in describing the uprising in La Vendee. The 
leaders on both sides appear in the story. 

Other stories: 

The Red Caps of Lyons (1909), by Herbert Hayens, giving an 
account of the measures of Collot-d'Herbois and his colleagues in 
bringing the Terror upon this section. 

The Adopted (1839), by Mrs. Anna E. Bray, which deals with 
the wholesale methods of killing at Nantes. 

La Vendee (1850), by Anthony Trollope, which describes the 
successes of the insurgents. 

The White Cockade, by Captain Charles Gilson, in which the 
Terror in Nantes is portrayed. 

The Chevalier de Maison-Rouge. 1846. Alexandre 

Dumas 

The hero is a royalist conspirator, who, in conjunction with a 
woman, plans to rescue Marie Antoinette from the Tower. Other 
conspirators have determined upon the same thing, and have 
worked out a better plot. The hero's plan conflicts with that of 
the others and renders it abortive, and he is willing to pay for his 
blunder with his life. The plot completely fails and the conspira- 
tors are seized. 



422 HISTORICAL FICTION 

"G. Le Notre, in The Real Maison Rouge (1894), shows that 
this hot-headed youth was in actual life known as A. D. J. Gonze 
de Rougeville. He did take a bold part in the attempts to free 
Marie Antoinette, but he was a less chivalric person than his 
double in fiction. In fact he was an impostor of plebeian birth, 
who usurped the name of de Rougeville. He survived until 1814." 

Marie Antoinette and Her Son. 1867. Louise 
Muhlbach 

In January, 1793, the guillotine ended the career of Louis 
XVI. In October of that year the queen was brought before the 
revolutionary tribunal charged with having exhausted the treasury 
and negotiating with the enemies of France. In defending herself 
against these charges she exhibited great firmness and poise. 
When the sentence of death was pronounced she received it with 
perfect calmness, and was supported by the same steadiness when 
she went to the guillotine the following morning. 

This German author (1814-1873), whose real name was 
Klara Mundt, was born in Neubrandenburg. She wrote exten- 
sively in the field of historical fiction. Her works "are sensa- 
tional, inartistic, distorted, but show a talent for lively description 
and narration that gave her a wide but short-lived popularity." 

This story covers an extended period, including events from 
1784 to the execution of the Duke of Enghien, the heir of the 
Conde family. In the plot against Napoleon, in which Cadoudal 
was a leading figure, the duke was seized by the orders of Bona- 
parte and shot, notwithstanding the fact that there was not an 
iota of proof that he had the slightest part in the plot of Cadoudal. 
The execution of the queen follows in the order of events as 
narrated by this story, also a romantic tale of the escape of the 
young Dauphin, regarding whom other stories deal. 

Andree de Taverney. 1855. Alexandre Dumas 

The leading event of this story is the execution of the king 
and queen. A large number of historical personages, royalist and 
revolutionary, are introduced — Robespierre, Danton, Lafayette, 
Dumouriez, Madame de Stael, Madame Roland and others. 



THE MODERN ERA 423 

Monsieur de Paris. 1907. Mary C. Rowsell 

Following the execution of Marie Antoinette, twenty-one 
members of the Gironde went to the guillotine singing the Mar- 
seillaise. On November 8, 1793, less than a month after the 
execution of the queen, Madame Roland suffered the same fate. 
She took a prominent part in the Revolution. Her home became 
a rendevous for the Girondist leaders, of whose cause she was 
an active supporter. She was cast into prison and from that time 
to her execution she wrote memoirs in which much of the history 
of the times is set forth. Then Madame du Barry, the notorious 
mistress of Louis XV, of whom we have said much in that con- 
nection, was now brought to trial charged with having squandered 
the pubHc wealth, which was eminently true, and was executed. 

This is a story of this once powerful woman in the affairs of 
State, which describes her execution. 

Zanoni. 1842. Bulwer-Lytton 

The events of this story fall in the Reign of Terror. The 
hero is a Rosicrucian (Rosy Cross). The secret of this order 
(the existence of which is sometimes questioned) has been 
guarded by its members. The aim of the Brothers of the Rosy 
Cross "was said to be the improvement of humanity by the dis- 
covery of the 'true philosophy,' and they claimed a deep knowl- 
edge of the mysteries of nature, such as the permutation of metals, 
the prolongation of life, the existence of spirits and the events 
occurring in distant countries." The general mystery shrouding 
the history and purposes of the order have created considerable 
curiosity. 

The hero of this story was a member of this order. He com- 
municates with spirits and has prolonged his life to a great period. 
He sacrifices his power of supernatural perception and immor- 
tality by marrying an opera-singer. During the Terror he con- 
trived to save his wife from the guillotine by substituting himself. 
Desmoulins, who incited the crowd to violence when the Bastile 
was destroyed, appears in the story with Robespierre. 

A Tale of Two Cities. 1859. Charles Dickens 

This story is a vivid portrayal of the Reign of Terror. Ernest 
Defarge, a wineseller, is the leader of the Revolutionists in the 



424 HISTORICAL FICTION 

suburb of St. Antoine in Paris. His wife, a vindictive old woman, 
who sits quietly knitting all day, is his enthusiastic accomplice. 

Dr. Alexander Manette, a physician, has professional knowl- 
edge of the shady transactions of a family of the nobility, and 
that they shall not be menaced by this he is confined for eighteen 
years in the Bastile, but regains his liberty just at the outbreak 
of the Revolution. He is taken care of by his daughter, Lucie. 

Charles Darnay, Marquis St. Evremonde, is the lover of Lucie 
Manette. She is also loved by Sidney Carton, the principal char- 
acter of the story. He is a young lawyer, but his talents have 
been rendered abortive by dissipation. His one redeeming quality 
is his pure, noble love for Lucie, who is betrothed to Darnay. In 
physical appearance Carton is Darnay's exact counterpart, and 
taking advantage of this fact, for the sake of his love for Lucie, 
manages to substitute himself for her lover in prison and saves 
him from the guillotine, by taking his condemnation under the 
name Darnay and thus suffering execution. 

On the way to the scaffold he is the support and comfort of a 
sewing girl, and standing upon the scaffold has a vision of Paris : 
"I see Barsad and Cly Defarge, the Vengeance, the Juryman, the 
Judge, long ranks of the new oppressors who have risen on the 
destruction of the old, perishing by this retributive instrument, 
before it shall cease out of its present use. I see a beautiful city 
and a brilliant people rising from this abyss, and, in their struggles 
to be truly free, in their triumphs and defeats, through long years 
to come, I see the evil of this time and of the previous time, of 
which this is the natural birth, gradually making expiation for 
itself and wearing out. I see the lives for which I lay down my 
life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy, in that England which 
I shall see no more. It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I 
have ever done ; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have 
ever known." 

The Mysterious Monsieur Dupont. 1913. Frederick 

Arthur 

The outstanding figure in the Reign of Terror is that of Robes- 
pierre (1758- 1 794). At the opening of the Revolution he was 
elected deputy to the States-General. He was a Jacobin and be- 
came the leader of the radicals in the National Convention. Sup- 



THE MODERN ERA 425 

ported by Danton and others he compassed the overthrow of the 
Girondins. Danton finally became disgusted with the extreme 
measures employed and Robespierre had him arrested. He made 
a tremendous fight against his accusers but without success, and 
fell a victim to the tyranny he had exerted his energies to create ; 
he and Desmoulins went to the guillotine together. 

The Reign of Terror was at its height, and the power of Robes- 
pierre seemed established. The Convention, at the dictation of 
those who demanded the most extreme measures of the Terror, 
abolished Christianity and introduced a Cult of Reason. Robes- 
pierre, who was a deist, was horrified with the atheism repre- 
sented by the Cult of Reason, and the people were required to 
accept as the creed of the State "the doctrines of the existence of 
a Supreme Being, the immortality of the soul and the moral duty 
of man." The famous statement of Robespierre will be recalled, 
that "if there were not a Supreme Being it would be necessary 
to create one." 

The authority of Robespierre, however, was not absolute. His 
ascendency alarmed the Convention, and a party in opposition 
to him arose that accused him of despotism, declaring him a 
menace to the existing order. He was cast into Luxemburg prison 
and in 1794, with twenty-three of his adherents, he went to the 
guillotine, to which he himself had sent so many. On the follow- 
ing day 71 members of the Commune were beheaded, and on the 
next day 12, and with these executions the Terror practically came 
to a close. During the brief period of this Reign of Terror heads 
fell into the basket of the guillotine by the hundreds, while the 
women with their knitting sat by counting them as they fell. 

In this story the family of Dupont, who is a woman disguised, 
all went to the guillotine. She has dealings with the leaders of 
the Revolution, and is mixed up with the secret organizations. 
The Vendean insurrection, the wholesale method of putting the 
people to death in Nantes, and the fall of the leaders of the Terror, 
are all crowded into the story. 

Other stories : 

The Friend of the People (1894), by Mary C. Rowsell. 

A Marriage Under the Terror (1910), by Miss Patricia Went- 
worth, which pictures the scenes in the dungeons and of the tri- 
bunals, before which the victims are brought. 



426 HISTORICAL FICTION 

In the Reign of Terror (1887), by G. A. Henty, giving the 
scenes in Paris and the provinces. 

The Elusive Pimpernel (1908), by Baroness Orczy, giving 
the scenes at the guillotine and the saving of some of the con- 
demned. 



Lazarre. 1901. Mary H. Catherwood 

History tells us that the Dauphin, Louis XVII, died in prison 
in 1795. In Louise Miihlbach's story, Marie Antoinette and Her 
Son, is set forth the theory that he was taken from prison by an 
officer of Napoleon, went under the name of Baron de Richmond 
and lived until 1853. In Lazarre his escape from prison was ac- 
complished and he was taken to America in a state of imbecility. 
There his reason returned and two courses were open to him : he 
might return to France and claim the throne, or marry a girl of 
the common people with whom he had fallen in love. He chose 
the latter. 

III. The Directory 

In 1795, by a new Constitution, the government was placed in 
the hands of a Directory consisting of five persons, who were 
selected by the Council of the Ancients from a list furnished by 
the Five Hundred. The first Directors had been members of the 
Convention and had voted for the execution of the king. 

The period of the Directory was a period of dissolution. Fol- 
lowing the rapacity and bloodshed of the Terror, the people gave 
themselves over to pleasure, luxury, extravagance and gambling. 
The ballrooms and theaters were crowded. "From top to bottom 
of the social scale there was a loosening of the national fibre. 
Morals and manners were alike depraved. Corruption and 
venality flourished unchecked. It prepared the way for military 
despotism, and especially for the dominating personality, who 
now rose rapidly into prominence, and was shortly to become, not 
only the controlling force in the destinies of France, but also the 
greatest figure on the European stage" — Napoleon Bonaparte. 
In 1799 the Directory came to an end, with which also terminated 
the period of the French Revolution. 



THE MODERN ERA 427 

The Stories 
The God of Clay. 1908. H. C. Bailey 

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) was born at Ajaccio, Cor- 
sica. At the age of ten he was placed in the military school of 
Brienne, and later, for a brief period, attended the military school 
of Paris. He then received a commission as lieutenant of artillery 
and in 1792 became captain of artillery. During that summer, 
while in Paris, he saw the mob attacking the Tuileries and said to 
a friend who was with him, "Why did they let those blackguards 
in there?" Nevertheless he realized that his own advantage lay 
in espousing the Jacobin cause. In the following year he was 
sent to capture Toulon, then in the hands of the British, which 
conquest was effected by his usual strategy. 

In 1795 the mob of Paris rose against the Convention. For 
its defence Napoleon was placed at the head of 5,000 troops. An 
insurgent force of 40,000 marched to the Tuileries where the Con- 
vention was in session. With a "whiff of grapeshot" Napoleon 
cleared the streets, disbanded the National Guard, disarmed the 
populace and put an end to the outbreak. 

This story deals with the facts of Napoleon's early years, 
tracing his military advancement. It describes the scene at the 
Tuileries when he scattered the huge mob with the "whiff of grape- 
shot." It was in the following year that he married Josephine 
who appears in the story. In the same year he had a series of 
victories over the Austrians and by the battle of Lodi, in which 
he forced the bridge in the face of a galling fire, he compelled them 
to seek peace, forced the pope to sign an armistice and thus 
placed the whole of northern Italy under France. By the Peace 
of Campo Formio, Austria was made to surrender the Nether- 
lands and Lombardy. The story in its historical range carries us 
to the campaign in Syria where he was compelled to abandon 
Acre, defended by the English under Sidney Smith, who appears 
in the story, also Nelson, who had destroyed the French fleet, cut- 
ting off Napoleon's return to Europe. 

Other Stories: 

A Pawn in the Game (1908) by W. H. Fitchett, which deals 
with the massacre at the Tuileries, carries us through the Reign 



428 HISTORICAL FICTION 

of Terror to the protection of the Convention by Napoleon, and 
through his Egyptian and Syrian campaigns. 

The Lost Empire (1909) by Captain C. Gilson, in which the 
period of the Directory is presented. It includes the war in India 
when Seringapatam was subdued by the British, which facts are 
fully set forth in our English Studies. 

The Whites and the Blues. 1867. Alexandre Dumas 

In the year 1797 the elections added a large body of deputies 
interested in the restoration of the monarchy, and a Bourbon 
sympathizer by the name of Barthelemy entered the Directory. 
The result was that the Republican Directors with the assistance 
of their adherents, swept their enemies from the Directory, Bar- 
thelemy and Carnot being compelled to escape from the country, 
and many others being exiled. The whole country was in a fer- 
ment of political unrest. The Directory was tottering. Bonaparte 
received the news and saw, as he expressed it, that the "pear was 
ripe." Abandoning his army he rushed to Paris, and the doom 
of the Directory was sealed. The country was with him. The 
infuriated Republicans set up a wild tumult in which Napoleon 
was almost dismembered, but the military suppressed the ris- 
ing and the Directory was at an end. 

The events of the Revolution are followed by this story 
through the Terror and the period of the Directory. The election 
and the clearing out of the enemies of the Republicans, the com- 
ing of Napoleon to Paris, are described. It was the opportunity 
for which Napoleon was looking and it brought about his rise 
to power. 

Madame Therese. 1863. E. Erckmann — A. Chatrian 

The scene is laid in a little village of the Vosges in these days 
of revolution sweeping over the country and finding its way into 
the villages and hamlets. Madame Therese, who is portrayed 
as a woman of high appreciations, a rare character, is present 
with soldier comrades who come into conflict with Austrian troops. 
She is left for dead on the street. A doctor of benevolent im- 
pulses rescues her from further harm, takes care of her injuries 
and then falls in love with her. 



THE MODERN ERA 429 

Alphonse de Lamartine has written on the "Godlessness of the 
French Revolution," in a novel of that name, to which the reader 
is referred. 



CHAPTER IV 
THE RISE AND EMPIRE OF NAPOLEON 

Napoleon stands out conspicuously among the great leaders of 
the world. He was a man of extraordinary force, quickness, dis- 
patch, intensity, concentration and endurance. Perhaps more than 
any other man did he combine these qualities in remarkable pro- 
portion. His career, however, was in the broadest sense histor- 
ical, and not merely individual. He was essentially a warrior, a 
conqueror, coming upon the stage of action under conditions fa- 
vorable to his own aggrandizement. He fought and conquered 
for revolutionary France. 

Napoleon has been called the prodigy of modern history. "In 
military genius and achievements he ranks with Alexander, Cae- 
sar and Hannibal. Of the eventful history of his own time he is 
the central figure, the chief actor; that history is in fact his biog- 
raphy. So is his intrinsic greatness blended with the events of 
one of the most memorable epochs of modern times that the most 
studied depreciation fails essentially to diminish it." 

This striking personality was both the product and creator of 
his time. In his person the tremendous force of the Revolution 
was concentrated and found its greatest expression. In him a 
despotic government came to centralization. It was far from 
liberty but it left far behind in a remote past the absolutism of 
Richelieu, Louis XIV and Louis XV which the Revolution for- 
ever destroyed. 

For fifteen years the dominance of this man of power was to 
be felt throughout Europe and the world. But those intrinsic 
laws by which absolutism was overthrown, rendered it equally 
impossible for Napoleon and his designs ultimately to succeed. 
With all his great endowments, his mighty force and transcendent 
energies, "he had also great weaknesses ; and doubtless his greatest 
weakness, like that of some other great men, is found in his de- 
fective moral principle. He was not destitute of the moral, but 
neither was he subject to it. He sought success with too little re- 

430 



THE MODERN ERA 431 

gard to the means, and was not in harmony with the moral order 
of the world." 

I. The Consulate 

The new Constitution, while it was the work of Sieyes, was 
wholly in line with the ideas and designs of Napoleon. The Ex- 
ecutive consisted of three consuls, and Napoleon was elected First 
Consul, in which capacity he was invested with chief authority, 
and controlled the largest measure of governmental power. Placed 
at the head of the army and the State he was practically the Dic- 
tator of France. 

Torn by revolution and anarchy, France needed a strong arm 
It needed unity, centralization, order and prosperity. Napoleon 
at the very beginning declared, "There are no longer Jacobins, 
or Moderates or Royalists ; there are only Frenchmen." He cre- 
ated a strong government, which was followed by the other things 
that were so greatly the need of the moment. The finances were 
organized, education was systematized, agriculture and industry 
were developed. The Church in France was restored, but di- 
vorced from the State from which it received no support. Catholi- 
cism, Protestantism and Judaism were made state religions under 
governmental control. 

Napoleon was made Consul for life, but he had larger designs. 
He had dreams of Empire and heirs in his line holding the throne. 
Royalist agitators played into his hands, and in 1804 the Senate 
recommended that the Republic be transformed into an Empire. 
The vote was taken on May 3 with but one dissenting vote, that 
of Carnot. On November 6, Napoleon became Napoleon I, Em- 
peror of France. 

The Stories 

Sons of Victory. 1904. O.V. Caine 

As soon as the Consulate was formed and Napoleon had been 
raised to power he proposed peace to England and Austria, which 
was desired by the French people. The proposals were rejected. 
The army on the Rhine was under the command of Moreau, and 
that on the Italian Riviera was commanded by Massena. Napo- 
leon then gathered another army which he placed under his own 
command, and with which he made his celebrated march across 
the Alps. 



432 HISTORICAL FICTION 

On the plains of Marengo he took the Austrians wholly by 
surprise and in that battle completely crushed them. When 
Moreau won his great victory at Hohenlinden the war with Aus- 
tria ended. England, however, under Nelson brought destruction 
to the French fleet, and Napoleon was forced to make terms with 
his invincible foe. In the treaty France regained lost colonies but 
was required to evacuate the Papal States, the Two Sicilies and 
Egypt. 

The French victories are set forth in this story. Joubert was 
killed at Novi, Massena won a brilliant victory over the Russians 
at Zurich, which was made possible by the manner in which the 
great Russian general, Suvoroff, was hampered by the Austrians. 
This victory saved France. 

General George. 1903. Moreton Hall 

There was still a determined opposition of Royalists and Re- 
publicans to Napoleon's personal rule. As he entered the opera 
house one night, a body of Republicans attempted to assassinate 
him, and still another plot almost succeeded. He was well aware 
that this was a Royalist plot in the point of origin, but he was 
anxious to crush the Jacobins and used this as a pretext for doing 
so. Leaders of the party, many of them wholly guiltless, were 
banished to Cayenne. 

The Chouan leader, Georges Cadoudal, was at the head of this 
plot. The conspiracy had its origin in London among members 
of the Bourbon party. Cadoudal and Charles Pichegru were the 
chief agents to whom was committed the execution of the con- 
spiracy. The plot became known. Cadoudal was put to death 
and his colleague committed suicide. Moreau, who was in the 
plot, escaped the death sentence and was banished. 

It was under these conditions that Napoleon was guilty of the 
judicial murder of an innocent man. To terrorize the Royalists 
he seized the Duke of Enghien, who was then living by himself 
in his castle on the Rhine, had him tried in a wholly irregular man- 
ner, condemned and shot. "It served at least as an object-lesson 
to show the world that he was capable of defying the plainest 
principles of morality when by doing so he believed that he could 
attain a desired end." This crime has remained one of the black- 
est spots upon the character of Napoleon. 



THE MODERN ERA 433 

This conspiracy, with Georges Cadoudal the chief emissary, 
constitutes the historical interest of this story. Many historical 
personages are introduced. 
Other Stories : 

Dealing with the same general situation and the leading spirit 
of these conspiracies are the following stories : 

The Chouans (1829) by Honore de Balzac. 

The House of the Combrays (1903) by G. Le Notre. 

The Companions of Jehu (1857) by Alexandre Dumas. 

The Hour and the Man. 1840. Harriet Martineau 

This English author (1802-1876) was born at Norwich. She 
was of French Huguenot extraction. When a girl she contributed 
to religious papers, and as a means of livelihood devoted herself 
to literature. After visiting the United States in 1834 she pub- 
lished Society in America and Western Travel. She visited the 
East and then published Eastern Life in which she states the 
change in her religious beliefs from Unitarianism to Agnosticism. 

The Republic of Santo Domingo occupies the eastern part of the 
island of Hayti. Toussaint Louverture, a negro, was born a 
slave, but contrived to secure some education. In 1791 the slaves 
raised an insurrection and Toussaint became their leader. Two 
years later the emancipation of the slaves was proclaimed. When 
the French government discovered that he possessed both military 
and political ability it made him general in chief of the troops of 
Santo Domingo. He defeated the English invasion in 1799 an ^ 
made himself master of the island having vested in him supreme 
civil authority. By a constitution that was framed he was made 
president of Hayti for life. 

In order for Napoleon to carry out his colonial scheme he saw 
that it would be necessary to make absolutely sure of the subju- 
gation of Hayti. He was not satisfied that Toussaint was not 
planning independence. He sent Leclerc with 10,000 men and 
Toussiant was compelled to surrender, though assured of personal 
safety. After six weeks he was arrested and sent to France by 
order of Napoleon, and within a year died in a fortress in which 
he was imprisoned. 

This story presents the achievements of this negro liberator, 
and is devoted particularly to the period of his activities from the 



434 HISTORICAL FICTION 

time he became the leader of the blacks, and was raised to supreme 
authority in the island, to his conflict with Napoleon, his surren- 
der and the ending of his career in the Jura Mountains. 

The reader will find "Toussaint L'Ouverture" by Wendell 
Phillips an interesting and valuable statement of this character. 

II. The Empire 

Amid all the pomp and display that could be effected, Napo- 
leon was crowned Emperor of France in Notre Dame, 1804. It 
was characteristic of him to have the Pope do the most unusual 
thing, to come to Paris and in person bestow the papal benedic- 
tion ; and it was equally characteristic of him that he should refuse 
to receive from the hands of the Pope the symbol of his sover- 
eignty and should place the crown upon his own head. Whatever 
this may have signified, that the Church and State were separate 
institutions, or that the throne was not subservient to the Church, 
in any case the same thing was emphasized in the following year 
when in the Duomo of Milan he placed the crown upon his head 
as King of Italy. 

For ten years we are to behold the spectacle of this new poten- 
tate, dominated by the lust for power, trying to realize his dream 
of a World-Empire. To bring all Europe under his sway is the 
objective of his ambition. Regarding himself the equal of Alex- 
ander and Ceasar he felt that the fact must be demonstrated and 
be given similar expression in imperial creations. To carve his 
way to fortune this indomitable man brought to the task "his 
iron constitution, his stupendous genius, his versatility, his in- 
flexible will, his monstrous egotism, his fatalistic faith in himself 
and his star, his utter callousness, his supreme contempt of hu- 
manity and the laws of morality (which he once brutally declared 
were not made for him), his complete indifference to everything 
except his own ambitions and interests." 

Historical Outline. 

The Third Coalition, 1805. 

Great Britain, Austria, Russia, Sweden, Naples. 

Ulm, Trafalgar, Austerlitz. The treaty of Pressburg. 
The Fourth Coalition, 1806-7. 

Great Britain, Russia, Prussia, Sweden. 

Jena, Auerstadt, Eylau, Friedland. The treaty of Tilsit. 



THE MODERN ERA 435 

The Conflict with England — The Peninsula War, 1807-14. 

The Continental System. The blockade against Britain. 

Possession of Papal States. Capture of Madrid. 

Napoleon defeated at Saragossa and Valencia. 

Driven from Portugal by Wellington. 

French Victories : Durango, Burgos, Espinosa, Tudela. 
The Fifth Coalition, 1809. 

Great Britain, Austria, Spain, Portugal. 

French Victories : Abensberg, Eckmuhl, Wagram. 

Austria and the treaty of Schonbrunn. 

Annexation of Papal States. 

Ney driven from Galicia. 
The Empire of Napoleon. 

Rome, Florence, Amsterdam, Hamburg as capital cities. 

The Illyrian provinces and Ionian Isles, Naples, West- 
phalia, Spain, Switzerland, Saxony, Bavaria, Wurtem- 
burg, Confederation of the Rhine. 
Invasion of Russia, 181 2. 

The retreat from Moscow, and loss of prestige. 
The Sixth Coalition, 181 3- 14. 

Great Britain, Prussia, German States, Spain, Portugal, 
Russia, Sweden, Austria. 

French victories at Lutzen, Bautzen, Dresden. 

French crushed at Leipzig. 

Napoleon on the defensive. 

Invasion of France. Abdication of Napoleon. King of the 
Island of Elba. 
The Waterloo Campaign, 181 5. 

The Bourbon Restoration. Louis XVIII. 

Napoleon's escape from Elba. 

"The Hundred Days." 

Waterloo. Banished to St. Helena. 

For the sake of uniformity and maintaining a greater unity, 
all stories dealing with the Napoleonic Era, the campaigns and 
conflicts in the different countries will be treated in this section, 
and not in connection with the various countries in which these 
events occurred. This, we believe, will contribute to unity in 
handling the international relations during the period that Napo- 
leon was in conflict with Europe. References to this section will 



436 HISTORICAL FICTION 

be made when we come to this era in the treatment of the sepa- 
rate states. 

The Third Coalition 
Napoleon's great objective was the conquest of England. He 
regarded Great Britain as the most formidable of his enemies, 
and was the one state that stood in the way of realizing his am- 
bition. In 1805 Austria, Russia, Sweden and Naples joined with 
Britain as the Third Coalition against him. Breaking up his camp 
at Boulogne, at the head of the best equipped army in Europe, 
he marched across the German States, utterly indifferent to the 
rights of neutrality. He captured Ulm and an Austrian army. 
He now moved on to Vienna. This capital had never been, in the 
course of modern history, in the hands of a foreign foe. The com- 
bined Russian and Austrian army met Napoleon in the battle of 
Austerlitz and the former suffered a complete defeat. Napoleon 
considered that among all his victories that was the masterpiece. 
It was followed by the Treaty of Pressburg. He divided up the 
territories and placed over them, as their rulers, relatives and 
marshals. 

The Stories 

Fleur-de-Camp. 1905. A. G. Campbell 

This story details the events of this Third Coalition and car- 
ries us through the entire Napoleonic Era. It describes the break- 
ing up of the camp at Boulogne when Napoleon learned of the 
coalition formed against him, the march into Austria and his 
great victories. The story is inclusive of the conquests and fall 
of Napoleon. 

War and Peace. 1865. Lyof Tolstoy 

This celebrated author (1 828-1 910) was born at Yasnoya 
Polyana a few years after the fall of Napoleon. He took a course 
in law and Oriental languages in the University of Kazan. He 
served in the Russian army in the Crimean War, and took part 
in the siege of Sebastopol. After spending some time abroad 
he settled down on his estates. He devoted himself to the well- 
being of the peasants, and for five years he lived their simple life 
and engaged in their work. His two works, War and Peace and 
Anna Karenina secured his standing as a writer of fiction, and 
following these he took up social and religious questions. In 1899 



THE MODERN ERA 437 

the Resurrection appeared. In his religious views he emphasized 
the teachings of Christ as the basis of individual development. 

This story covers^ the Napoleonic Era from the time of the 
establishment of the Empire, setting forth the various phases of 
Russian life and the character of this period. It gives us a near 
view of the time and the people. In dealing with the Third Coali- 
tion it furnishes a description of Napoleon's brilliant victory at 
Austerlitz. It is characterized by its philosophical delineations. 

Trafalgar. 1884. Benito Perez Galdos 

At Ulm Napoleon learned that his fleet had been destroyed 
by Nelson in the battle of Trafalgar, that the English were in ab- 
solute control of the sea, and that his schemes for the invasion of 
England were shattered. This battle, as described by this story, 
is set forth in our English Studies of this period. 

The Fourth Coalition 

In 1806-7 the coalition formed against Napoleon comprised 
Great Britain, Russia, Prussia, Sweden. Joseph Bonaparte was 
made king of Naples and Sicily, and Louis Bonaparte king of 
Holland. In July of 1806 was formed the Confederation of the 
Rhine. At Jena and Austerstadt the Prussian army was crushed, 
and Napoleon entered Berlin. In pursuit of Frederick William, 
the French waded through snow and mud to their knees, and at 
Eylau was fought one of the bloodiest battles. The victory was 
a dear one for Napoleon, and the battle is sometimes regarded as 
indecisive. At Friedland the Russians were defeated and Alex- 
ander I made peace. 

The Stories 

Napoleon and Blucher. 1858. Louise Muhlbach 

Blucher, the Prussian general, fought at Auerstadt and was 
also defeated at Rat Kow. After the peace of Tilsit he was em- 
ployed in the department of war at Koenigsberg and Berlin. 

The successes of Napoleon in defeating the Prussians and 
Russians in this period are set forth in this story. Jena, Auerstadt 
and the taking of Berlin are described. Following the defeat 
of the Russians at Friedland, Napoleon and Alexander, on a raft 



438 HISTORICAL FICTION 

in the river Niemen, sketched the outlines of the treaty of Til- 
sit. So thoroughly was Alexander deluded by Napoleon that he 
signed a secret article agreeing to unite with Napoleon against 
Britain if the latter refused to make peace. It was not long be- 
fore the Czar came to realize the insincerity of Napoleon's prom- 
ises, and in what manner he had committed himself to the working 
out of the schemes of the conqueror. This treaty, by which Prus- 
sia lost nearly half of her possessions, out of which was formed 
the kingdom of Westphalia, is set forth in this story, which car- 
ries the events to the close of the era. It introduces many histor- 
ical personages of the time ; the king and queen of Prussia, Blu- 
cher, Josephine, Talleyrand, and many others. 

Love and Honor. 1901. M. E. Carr 

We have referred to the manner in which the new kingdom 
of Westphalia was formed out of a part of the possessions of 
Prussia taken by Napoleon. This section lay between the Elbe 
and the Rhine. Jerome, Napoleon's youngest brother, was made 
the ruler of this kingdom. This kingdom, together with Holland, 
over which Napoleon placed his brother Louis, gave him the en- 
tire control of the seaboard from the Rhine to the Elbe. 

The affairs of this kingdom under the administration of 
Jerome are dealt with in this story. 

Tom Burke of Ours. 1844. Charles Lever 

This Irish novelist (i 806-1 872) was born in the year to which 
part of this story relates. The Secretary to the British Embassy 
in Belgium invited him to Brussels which invitation he accepted, 
and in that city practiced medicine. After two years he returned 
to Ireland and became editor of the "Dublin University Maga- 
zine." He now devoted himself entirely to literary pursuits. Tom 
Burke of Ours first appeared as a serial story in this magazine. 
His residence in France enabled him to impart to the story the 
right coloring. 

This story is an exciting picture of the events of Napoleon's 
campaigns and gives a good delineation of the conqueror. The 
battles of Austerlitz and Jena are well portrayed. The titular 
hero, an orphan, becomes implicated in an Irish political plot and 



THE MODERN ERA 439 

flees to France. He receives a commission from Napoleon. He 
is unjustly accused of taking part in the Chouan plot of Georges 
Cadoudal, which we have fully described, but he stands trial and 
is saved from the fate of the leaders of the plot through influential 
persons. He is quite familiar with Napoleon, and in one instance 
saves his life. He again meets him at the time of his abdication. 

The Adventures of an Aide-de-Camp. 1848. 
James Grant 

During the days of the Directory and the Empire, England 
rendered Italy valuable support. The victory of Maida is a con- 
spicuous instance of England's attitude. In the days of Italian 
emancipation, the days of Garibaldi, Italy had the warm sym- 
pathy of the English people. 

This story has its setting in this period when the British troops 
were active in Italy under Stuart. The battle of Maida is de- 
scribed. The operations against the French and the adventures 
pertaining to that campaign are included. 

The Cross of Honor. 1910. Mary Openshaw 

The Poles believed that Napoleon would restore to them their 
liberty. They not only welcomed him, but placed under his com- 
mand a large body of men. Their action gained little for them. 
He established under his own control the Duchy of Warsaw, but 
after his fatal invasion of Russia this duchy lost its independence. 

The Countess Walewska figures in this story. Count Walew- 
ski ( 1 810- 1 868), a French statesman, was the son of Napoleon 
and this Polish Countess. He was born at Walewice, Poland. 
He joined the Polish army when the Revolution of 1830 broke 
out in Poland. When Warsaw surrendered he went to France. 
He figured in important capacities : was sent to Egypt on a diplo- 
matic mission ; held appointments under the Guizot ministry ; was 
envoy at Florence and Naples ; became minister of foreign affairs ; 
in i860 was appointed Minister of State. 

For this period of the Fourth Coalition the reader is again 
referred to War and Peace by Count Tolstoy. 



440 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Conflict with England. The Peninsula War 

Protected by her insular position and her splendid fleet, Eng- 
land could defy Napoleon, and to accomplish his designs against 
her he created the Continental System. The aim of this system 
was to cut England off commercially from Europe. Thus Prus- 
sia was forced to close her ports to Britain. Portugal was ordered 
by Napoleon to do the same, and on refusing to obey the order, 
a French army marched into Portugal. Smuggling became wide- 
spread, and English goods found their way into the Continent. 

Against Napoleon's arrogance Spain arose in 1808, and Britain 
sent her troops to participate in the Peninsular War (1808-14). 
Over her troops was placed the able commander, the Duke of 
Wellington. The intrigues and quarrels in Spain contributed to 
the weakness of that country at this time. The French commander 
seized Madrid, and the crown was placed on the head of Joseph 
Bonaparte. The Spanish people rose in revolt as did the Portu- 
guese. 

The Stories 

'Tention! 1906. G. Manville Fenn 

In order fully to subjugate Portugal it was necessary for 
Napoleon to seize Spain. Junot marched into Lisbon, and then 
began operations against Spain. Napoleon's scheme was some- 
what favored by a quarrel between Charles V and his son Ferdi- 
nand. He called an Assembly at Bayonne, forced Charles to abdi- 
cate and Ferdinand to sign away his sovereign rights. Joseph 
Bonaparte was then placed upon the throne. 

This story relates to these happenings in Spain, the dethroning 
of the king and the uprising of the people. The French were 
hurled back to the Pyrenees. At Baylen, Dupont was defeated. 

These same events are set forth in The King's Revoke (1905) 
by Margaret L. Woods in which the rescue of the Spanish king, 
Ferdinand VII, is attempted. 

With Moore at Corunna. 1898. George A. Henty 

With the rising of the Spaniards and Portuguese against Na- 
poleon, the Duke of Wellington took command of the forces. At 
Saragossa and Valencia the French were defeated. This was fol- 



THE MODERN ERA 441 

lowed by Wellington's victory over Junot at Vimiero which com- 
pelled him to evacuate Portuguese territory. At this point the 
Convention of Cintra was signed by which the French were per- 
mitted to leave Portugal with all their stores. 

Napoleon now took command in Spain and succeeded in plac- 
ing Joseph on the throne for the second time. In the meantime 
Sir John Moore was making his way to Corunna. Sault, who 
had been following him, arrived at this point and the forces came 
to battle. Sault was defeated and Moore in the moment of vic- 
tory was killed. Wellington now took command in Portugal 
where the French were strongly established. Sault had taken 
Oporto, which was recovered by Beresford. Wellington drove 
back Sault from Lisbon, and then advanced up the valley of the 
Tagus. 

These military operations are set forth in this story. It de- 
scribes Wellington's victory at Vimeiro, in which are displayed 
the abilities of the man who was destined to "wear down the 
brilliant Corsican." It brings forward the Convention at Cintra, 
following which are traced the movements of Moore under dis- 
couraging conditions in the way of transport facilities and the 
stupidity of Spanish authorities. He then learned that the French 
held Madrid. His retreat to Portugal had been cut off, and 
Napoleon was drawing him into a net. At Corunna he defeats 
Sault and dies at the point of victory. 

Boys of the Light Brigade. 1904. Herbert Strang 

The Spanish city of Saragossa was invested by the French 
army in June, 1808. It was defended most gallantly and with 
remarkable heroism but was finally compelled to surrender. As 
Joseph Palafax was the hero of this defense, Augustina was the 
heroine of this historic event. She, "a mere girl, was a peddler 
of cool drinks in the beleaguered city. From the beginning to 
the end she was ever in the heat of the conflict, her courage and 
resource heartening the defenders in the darkest hours of those 
bloody months. She won the name of La Artillera from having 
snatched the match from the hands of a dying gunner and dis- 
charging the piece at the besiegers. It was Byron who gave her 
the name of the Maid of Saragossa. When he was in Seville 



442 HISTORICAL FICTION 

in 1809 ne use d to see her as she walked daily on the prado, wear- 
ing the medals and orders decreed to her by the junta." 

The defence of Saragossa by Palafax is set forth by this story. 

The Young Buglers. 1879. George A. Henty 

In July of 1809, Wellington defeated Joseph and Victor in 
a desperate battle at Talavera, after which victory the peerage 
of Lord Wellington was bestowed upon him. He met Massena 
in 1810 at Busaco and drove him back, and in the following year 
forced him to retreat to Salamanca. In 1812 he besieged Ciudad 
Rodrigo and after a severe struggle forced it to capitulate. He 
now marched to Badajos and in one of the bloodiest battles on 
record captured the place. He now laid siege to the forts of 
Salamanca ; in ten days they were reduced, and in the great battle 
of Salamanca he utterly defeated the French. In August of that 
year he marched in triumph into Madrid. Turning towards the 
north, he came to Burgos, but was lacking in siege supplies and 
abandoned the place. In May of 181 3 he sent the French at 
Douro into full retreat without fighting a battle. 

Joseph Bonaparte now abandoned every position and made 
himself strong at Vitoria; but it was useless. Wellington carried 
his position and administered the most crushing defeat that had 
been inflicted during the war. Sault now attempted to break the 
line of the allies, but utterly failed and withdrew. By taking 
San Sebastian, Wellington was free to devote himself to Sault, 
and after a most desperate battle the French were completely 
baffled at every point. In i8i4 Sault concentrated at Orthes. 
Wellington attacked. For a time the battle was doubtful, but by 
a brilliant move Wellington scored another great victory. He 
now occupied Bayonne. 

In the last move of the war Wellington pursued Sault to 
Toulouse, which the latter determined to hold. In one of the 
most terrible battles of the war, Wellington carried the chief 
positions and then shifted his plan of action by which the French 
would have been surrounded and crushed. This Sault fully real- 
ized, and by a masterly movement managed to carry off his troops, 
leaving Wellington in possession of the field. At that moment 
the news of Napoleon's abdication came from Paris ,and the War 
of the Peninsula came to a close. 



THE MODERN ERA 443 

This story traces the course of this war, describing the great 
movements and engagements as sketched above. It is put in the 
form of the adventures of two boys, and the history of Welling- 
ton's great achievements from practically the beginning of the 
campaign to the battle of Toulouse is set forth. 

Other stories : 

Under Wellington's Command (1899), by G. A. Henty, in 
which several of the great battles are described — Toulouse, Bu- 
saco, Salamanca, and others. 

The Spy (1910), by Captain Charles Gilson, which gives a 
good account of the siege of Badajos. The French had taken 
this point, and in 181 1, after Beresford defeated them in the 
battle of Albuera, siege was laid to Badajos. It was necessary 
to abandon it, but in 1812 Badajos fell. 

A Young Man Married (1909), by S. C. Grier, giving the inci- 
dents of the war from 181 2 to Wellington's victory at Vitoria 
in 1813. 

Charles O'Malley. 1841. Charles Lever 

This story established the author's reputation as one of the 
leading humorists of his day. It is his most popular story. Of 
him Trollope says, "Of all the men I have ever encountered he 
was the surest fund of drollery." It is a strong narrative, and 
the characterizations are striking and natural. 

The young Irishman, whether in war or in love, seems quite 
indifferent to eventualities. He is in the service of Wellington 
in the Peninsular War, and is also in the Waterloo campaign. 
The interest is perfectly sustained in all the delineations, whether 
in the vigorous setting forth of events, or in amusing episodes. 
Major Monsoon is characteristically Irish and is "said to be drawn 
after the O'Gorman Mahone. Lever used to feast this gentleman 
daily at his table while the novel was in course of construction. 
As it appeared serially in the 'Dublin University Magazine,' the 
Major soon recognized the uses to which he was put, but Lever's 
wine was so good that he contented himself with an occasional 
growl at his host when the touches in the portrait seemed a little 
too free." G. P. Marsh adds that, "Modern English literature 
has not produced a more Shakespearean — I might say a more 
original — comic character." 



444 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The Fifth Coalition 

The Peninsula War seriously drained the strength and divided 
the attention of Napoleon. "The treacherous seizure of Spain 
may indeed be regarded as the decisive turning-point in his for- 
tunes. Talleyrand saw this at the time. At St. Helena, Napo- 
leon himself admitted it." And this misjudgment was soon to 
be apparent. 

The Fifth Coalition comprised Great Britain, Austria, Spain, 
Portugal. Taking advantage of Napoleon's reverses in Spain, 
Austria again declared war. Leaving Spain, Napoleon defeated 
Austria at Abensburg and Eckmuhl (1809) and entered Vienna. 
But when he proposed to cross the Danube he met a great repulse 
at Asper by the Archduke Charles. 

The battle of Wagram, in which he decisively defeated the 
Austrians, ended the matter. They sought peace and in the treaty 
of Schonbrunn, Austria ceded Salzburg, part of the provinces 
of Upper Austria and Carinthia, Carniolo, most of Croatia, the 
coastland of the Adriatic and large portions of her Polish terri- 
tory. The dominion of the Illyrian Provinces was then created. 
The Papal States were now added to the Empire and Holland 
became a French province. These gains, however, were largely 
counterbalanced by British successes in Spain and Portugal, in 
which both Sault and Ney had signally failed. 

The Stories 
Andreas Hofer. 1868. Louise Muhlbach 

One of the striking characters that entered into this conflict was 
Andreas Hofer (1767-1810), a famous Tyrolean patriot. During 
the period of the Revolution he led a force of his countrymen 
against the French, and from that time he devoted his energies 
unceasingly to the protection of his country against advances by 
neighboring nations. By the skilful handling of situations, and 
the bravery of his men, he won victories against forces far out- 
numbering his own. In 1809 he delivered his country from 
bondage and became the head of the Tyrolean government. His 
resources, however, were too limited, and in an insurrection 
against Bavaria a combined force of French and Bavarians over- 
whelmed him. In 1810 he was betrayed to the French, and was 
condemned and shot by the order of Napoleon. 



THE MODERN ERA 445 

Innsbruck is the capital of Tyrol, a province of Austria. It 
was joined to the house of Austria in the fourteenth century, 
and since that time has sustained that relation with the exception 
of a brief period when Napoleon transferred it to Bavaria. Inns- 
bruck contains several monuments to Tyrolese patriots. 

The historical setting of this story is this period of the war 
in which Hofer figured from the time that Innsbruck fell to the 
execution of Hofer. The military operations of the time are dealt 
with, and the importance of the battle of Wagram, as the defeat of 
the Austrians and the ground of the Treaty, is made to appear. 
Wagram is a village of Lower Austria. It is the scene of this cele- 
brated victory. Napoleon had under his command 181,700 men 
and about 450 guns. The Austrian army numbered about 128,600 
men and 410 guns ; hence the advantage was considerably on the 
side of Napoleon. When the first day of the battle closed, the 
Austrians held the advantage, but by noon of the following day 
Napoleon had succeeded in turning the Austrian left. While 
the right and center held firmly, Charles was forced to retreat. 

Other stories: 

At Odds (1863), by Baroness von Tautphoeus, in which the 
interests of Bavaria as affected by the great struggle of this era 
are dealt with. The history is carried forward to the revolt of 
Hofer. The political situation is made to appear in the romance 
of the story. 

A Red Bridal (1898), by William Westall, a story of the con- 
test between the Tyroleans, with Hofer at their head, and Napo- 
leon. 

Napoleon and Blucher. 1868. Louise Muhlbach 

Attention is again called to this story because of the part 
taken by the Archduchess, Maria Louisa. 

In 1794, when the husband of Josephine was executed by 
order of the Convention, she paid a visit to Napoleon to thank him 
for returning to her her husband's sword. She so strongly at- 
tracted him that two years afterwards they were married. She 
was a woman of an amiable and pleasing manner, and contributed 
to his success in attaining to a higher position. She was crowned 
with him as Empress in 1804. We have already noted Napoleon's 



446 HISTORICAL FICTION 

ambition to have a successor in his own line. As this union was 
childless, the aspirations of Napoleon to be the founder of a 
dynasty seemed destined to fail. Consequently in 1809 he di- 
vorced Josephine, permitting her to retain the title of Empress, 
and making her a large annual allowance. Their domestic rela- 
tions had not been happy, but were disturbed by constant quarrels 
and jealousies. There is no question, however, that his dominant 
motive in divorcing his wife was because she stood in the way 
of his dynastic aspirations. 

Following the defeat of Austria and the Peace of Schonbrunn, 
he contracted an alliance with Austria and married Maria Louisa, 
daughter of the Emperor Francis I (1810). It neither pleased 
France nor retained Austria as an ally, but it secured for him an 
heir. 

In this story Maria Louisa figures with a host of notable 
personages. 

Invasion of Russia 

Napoleon realized, more than ever, that his one implacable 
foe was Great Britain. She had shown herself in every way 
superior on the water and had annihilated his fleet, and Welling- 
ton was fast becoming the master in Spain and Portugal. He 
could not invade England, and he knew that the British people, 
fully understanding his designs, would make no terms with him 
short of breaking his power and bringing him to a complete sur- 
render. And he fully realized that if he failed in his imperial 
design it would be Great Britain, by her tireless and sturdy and 
efficient opposition, more than any other nation, that would com- 
pass his downfall. 

The only way, then, to curb his great foe was to weaken her by 
his blockade system, and thus far it had completely failed to do 
so. He now called upon the Czar of Russia to aid him in extend- 
ing his system to the detriment of England. The Czar replied 
that while he intended to fulfill the obligations of the treaty of 
Tilsit, it did not require him to take such positions against neutral 
countries, and refused to comply with Napoleon's request. 

The result was the assembling in 181 2 of an immense army 
for the invasion of Russia. As he marched through the country 
Napoleon laid waste to it. At Borodino his victory was not 
decisive. He marched on to Moscow only to find a deserted city, 



THE MODERN ERA 447 

while those Russians that remained set it on fire. Alexander 
refused to treat with him while a French soldier remained in 
Russia. The man who had come with such a display of power 
and arrogance was compelled to beat an ignominious retreat. 
Russian snows more than Russian bullets were silently decimating 
his army. "The advance across 600 miles of barren country with 
all the enormous stores necessary for so huge an army had already 
cost over 100,000 men. The retreat of the ragged and starving 
horde, harassed by Russians and Cossacks, living on horseflesh, 
suffering from snow-sickness, frost-bitten, and floundering through 
the ice and snow, forms a tale of horror which has passed into 
a legend, and which no pen can exaggerate." 

The Stories 

Adventures of Gerard. 1903. A. Conan Doyle 

The character in this and other stories of Doyle is an officer 
of the Grand Armee, a bragging, blustering fellow who relates 
his deeds of prowess. We find him in the Peninsular War, then 
with Napoleon in his Russian invasion and in the retreat from 
Moscow. He survives the awful ordeal and participates in the 
last campaign of the war. 

Through Russian Snows. 1895. George A. Henty 

Napoleon crossed the river Niemen in June, 1812, occupied 
Vilna and then passed on to Smolensk, which he reached about 
the middle of August. He defeated the Russians, who retreated 
before him and drew him into the depths of the country, which 
they laid waste, thus limiting his supplies. He reached Borodino 
early in September. The Russians under Kutuzoff were defeated 
in one of the bloodiest battles of the war. Within a week the 
French were in Moscow, only to find a deserted and burning city 
which it was impossible to make their winter quarters. The 
sacrifice of the city was the saving of the country. 

In this story, setting forth this invasion, Henty has given a 
good description of the events at Smolensk and Borodino, and 
the deadly work of frost, famine and disease as the straggling 
and ragged crowd of Napoleon's "Grand Army" made its way 
into Vilna. 



448 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Other stones: 

Kenneth (1850), by Charlotte M. Yonge, describing the re- 
treat from Moscow. 

Barlasch of the Guard (1903), by H. S. Merriman, giving 
interesting accounts of particular things in connection with the 
invasion, such as secret operations and spy system, the operations 
at Danzig, etc. 

Moscow (1906), by Frederick Whishaw, a love story of the 
campaign. 

War and Peace, by Count Tolstoy. Attention is again called 
to this story, which covers the entire era and describes events 
of the invasion. 

The Sixth Coalition 

Napoleon left the wreck of his forces in the snows of Russia 
and hastened to Paris to raise another army. He had used up 
nearly half a million of men and his prestige was lost. Welling- 
ton had recovered nearly all the lost ground, 200,000 French sol- 
diers were confined in Spain, and Wellington was moving on to 
the French frontier. 

The dismal failure of the Russian invasion encouraged a new 
coalition, comprising Great Britain, Prussia, German States, 
Spain, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Austria. All North Germany 
rose as one man to end the despicable tyranny. Bernadotte, 
Napoleon's old general, united with Great Britain at the head 
of the Swedish army. 

Quickly assembling a new army, Napoleon struck a blow at 
Russia and Prussia before Austria could come to their assistance, 
and defeated them at Lutzen and Bautzen (1813). At Gross- 
beeren, Bernadotte defeated Oudinot, while Blucher was vic- 
torious at Katzbach. Napoleon defeated Schwarzenberg at Dres- 
den, but at Leipzig he met with a crushing defeat and was com- 
pelled to take the defensive. With Blucher and Schwarzenberg 
on the Rhine, the Confederation of the Rhine dissolving, the 
French driven from Holland and defeated by Wellington at 
Vitoria and in the Pyrenees and Wellington now marching into 
France with the army of Sault fleeing before him, Napoleon 
realized that the end had come. He made one more determined 
effort to win, but the allies marched into Paris in March, 181 5, 
and he was compelled not only to surrender but to abdicate his 



THE MODERN ERA 449 

throne, as was decreed by the Senate. He was exiled to the little 
island of Elba and was given the kingship of it, "where, it was 
considered, he could still play at sovereignty without endangering 
the rest of the world." 

The Stories 
Face to Face with Napoleon. 1898. O. V. Caine 

Napoleon's empire had grown until it included 130 depart- 
ments. Naples, Westphalia and Spain were governed by mem- 
bers of his family. Saxony, Bavaria, Wurtemberg and the whole 
Confederation of the Rhine were under his dominion. This was 
the situation in Germany when the Sixth Coalition was formed. 
Under Napoleon's blockading system commerce had decreased 
and discontent was taking hold of the masses, and the oppressive 
conditions were felt everywhere. The same was true in France, 
and "the whole country, now awakened from its intoxicating 
dream of military glory, began to feel acutely the terrific burdens 
which military glory imposed upon it, and to murmur at incessant 
wars undertaken only to gratify one man's lust for territorial 
aggrandizement, and involving ever-increasing holocausts of 
victims." 

This story describes the conditions in Germany in the last 
two years of the war. It portrays in a striking manner the 
German States rising as one man to put an end to the despotism 
holding them in its power. The military operations of this Coali- 
tion are set forth and especially the crushing defeat of Napoleon 
at Leipzig, the great "Battle of the Nations," in which after three 
days of terrific fighting Napoleon lost 70,000 men. Germany's 
liberation was now an accomplished fact. Blucher, Napoleon 
and other leading personages enter into the story. 

The Blockade of Phalsbourg. 1869. Emile Erckmann- 
Alexander Chatrian 

This is a story of the closing moments of the war prior to the 
abdication of Napoleon when the allies entered Paris. The scene 
is laid in the town of Phalsbourg, which is besieged and remains 
in that state until Napoleon accepts his defeat and relinquishes 
his throne. 



450 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The Conscript of 1813. 1864. Emile Erckmann- 
Alexander Chatrian 

A conscript of the peasant class witnesses the Grand Army 
of Napoleon as it proceeds to the North. He is drawn into the 
ranks, a fact which has a serious effect upon the affairs of his 
life, and thus illustrates the manner in which war lays its blight- 
ing hand upon the hopes of life. He participates in the great 
engagements to the crushing defeat of Napoleon in the battle 
of Leipzig. 

Emile Erckmann (1822-1899) was born at Phalsbourg in Al- 
sace. He became a law student and was admitted to the bar in 
1858. Alexander Chatrian (1826-1890) was born at Soldatenthat. 
The practice of law became distasteful to Erckmann and he pro- 
posed to Chatrian, who was a fellow-student in the gymnasium 
at Phalsbourg, that they join forces in authorship. This part- 
nership lasted for 25 years. The result of this joint authorship 
was a great series of novels, plays and operas. 

Napoleon and Blucher. 1858. Louise Muhlbach 

This story, which covers so much of this general period, pre- 
sents in a splendid manner this campaign and the great engage- 
ments to the abdication of Napoleon. The labors of the queen, 
Louisa, in stimulating the national spirit of her people are well 
portrayed. 

The Waterloo Campaign 

We left Napoleon in exile ruling his little island of Elba after 
being deposed by the Senate. France was reduced to her boun- 
daries as they were prior to the Revolution. The Bourbon dynasty 
was restored by placing on the throne Louis XVIII, brother of 
Louis XVI. A policy of intolerance against Protestants, Repub- 
licans and Imperialists was adopted, and the new government 
began to fall into disrepute. Added to this, the doings of the 
Congress of Vienna in dividing among the Powers sections of 
Napoleon's dominions so disgusted the French that sentiment 
in France turned in favor of the deposed monarch. 

Learning of this changed attitude, Napoleon saw an oppor- 
tunity of regaining his power by striking a quick and decisive 
blow. In February, 181 5, he escaped from Elba, landed in France 



THE MODERN ERA 451 

with a thousand men and started for Paris. The army rallied 
about him ; Louis XVIII fled the country ; he presented himself 
as the liberator of France and the protector of her democracy. 
He now drew up a Constitution of democratic principles, and thus 
from March 20 to June 28 began the second period of Napoleon's 
reign of the "Hundred Days." 

The Coalition was at once revived and Napoleon was declared 
to be "an enemy and disturber of the peace of the world." 
Wellington soon placed an army in Belgium and Blucher had a 
Prussian force on the Rhine. Between these two armies Napoleon 
threw his force, aiming to defeat them separately. Surprising 
Blucher by his rapid movements, he defeated him at Ligny on 
June 16, and broke the connection between him and Wellington. 

On the morning of June 18, Napoleon faced Wellington at 
Waterloo. For ten hours he hurled his columns against Welling- 
ton's squares of the stubborn British infantry and as often was 
hurled back. "Never did Wellington better deserve the name of 
'the Iron Duke.' " Napoleon now made his last attempt. He 
gathered the Old Guard, the picked veterans, and ordered them 
to charge. It was unavailing. Their defeat became a rout. Wel- 
lington ordered a general advance and the French fled before 
them. They were pursued all through the night. 

Waterloo was the grave of all of Napoleon's hopes. The 
defeated Blucher reached the field of battle at a critical moment, 
and with Wellington marched into Paris. Napoleon was ban- 
ished to the British Isle of St. Helena, where he spent his last 
six years quarreling with his English jailors. 

The Stories 

In the Year of Waterloo. 1899. O. V. Caine 

This story is a good description of Napoleon getting away 
from Elba, the march to Paris and entrance into the city. His last 
attempt to regain his power and his final battle are well set forth. 

Vengeance Is Mine. 1899. Andrew Balfour 

This Scotch author (1873-) was born in Edinburgh. He 
studied at the University of Edinburgh and then specialized at 
Cambridge. He has won for himself distinction as a bacteriolo- 



452 HISTORICAL FICTION 

gist. In 1900 he served as civil surgeon in the South African 
War. Following this he was made director of the Research 
Laboratories at Khartoum. He is the author of several medical 
works as well as historical novels. 

In this novel we get a glimpse of Napoleon at Elba, and are 
carried on to Waterloo, in which the charge of the Gordons and 
the Grays (Highlanders) is depicted. 

Other Stories : 

Les Miserabies (1862), by Victor Hugo. This great work 
contains one of the best accounts of the battle of Waterloo that 
has ever appeared. 

With Wellington to Waterloo (1901), by Harold Avery, in 
which the defeat of Ney followed by that of Napoleon is described. 
The Shadow of the Sword (1875) by Robert Buchanan. Re- 
fusing to fight because of religious scruples, a fisherman, under 
persecution becomes insane and attempts to kill Napoleon before 
starting to meet Blucher and Wellington. 

The Great Shadow (1893), by A. Conan Doyle. It contains an 
excellent description of Waterloo. 

The Chartreuse of Parma. 1840. Stendhal 

The author (1783- 1842), whose real name was Marie Henri 
Beyle, was born in Grenoble. As a boy he went to Milan and 
fought under Napoleon at Marengo. He returned to Paris and 
was variously employed. He participated in the fatal Russian 
campaign of 181 2. When he returned to Italy he created a reputa- 
tion as a critic of painting and music. The story now under no- 
tice is his best in the field of fiction, and like his other works "it 
is discursive and formless ; but is considered remarkable alike for 
its keenness of analysis and its exposition of the acid, material- 
istic philosophy of its author." 

An ambitious Italian manages to enlist under Napoleon and 
fights at Waterloo. He returns to Italy where exciting adven- 
tures await him. He is induced by his aunt, the Duchess, to enter 
the priesthood. A jealous rival attempts to kill him whom he 
slays in self-defence. He is imprisoned, but by the aid of the 
Duchess and Clelia, the daughter of the keeper of the prison, he 
makes his escape. 



THE MODERN ERA 453 

Waterloo. 1865. Emile Erckmann- Alexander 
Chatrian 

This story has had a wide circulation in many languages. 
Joseph Bertha, the clock-maker of Phalsbourg, the native town 
of Erckmann, tells the story. He despises war, but when it be- 
comes necessary he will share in the duty of fighting. The story 
gives an excellent statement of the governmental conditions from 
the time that Louis XVIII is placed on the throne to the coming 
of Napoleon from Elba. The following paragraphs illustrate the 
way in which Joseph Bertha tells the story and give a good de- 
scription of Waterloo. 

"The red coats of the English were visible before us when we 
awoke next morning. At six o'clock I looked at their position, 
with Zebede, Captain Florentin and Buche, and it seemed to me 
it was a difficult task before us. It was Sunday, and I could hear 
the bells of villages, recalling Phalsbourg. But in a very little 
while we heard no more bells, for at half-past eight our battalion 
was on its way to the high road in front, and the battle of Water- 
loo had begun. 

"I have often heard veterans describe the order of battle given 
by the emperor. But all I remember of that terrible day is that we 
marched out with the bands playing, that we got to close quarters 
with the English, were repulsed, and were assisted by regiments 
of cuirassiers, that we carried La Haie-Sainte with terrible slaugh- 
ter at Ney's command. Hougomout we could not carry. 

"We threw ourselves again and again upon the English 
squares, and that at last, when regiment after regiment had tried 
in vain to break the enemy's line, the Old Guard were called up 
by the emperor. It was the last chance of retrieving the day, the 
grand stroke — and it failed. 

"The four battalions of the Guards, reduced from 3,000 to 
1,200 men, were assailed by so fierce a fire that they were com- 
pelled to retire. They retired slowly, defending themselves with 
muskets and bayonets, but with their retirement and the approach 
of night, the battle ended for us in the confusion of a rout. It was 
like a flood. We were surrounded on all sides when Blucher ar- 
rived. The Old Guard formed a square for the emperor and his 
officers, and the rest of us simply straggled away, back to France. 
The most awful thing of all was the beating of the drum of the 



454 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Old Guard in that hour of disaster. It was like a fire-bell, the 
last appeal of a burning nation." 

As dealing with the foregoing the reader is referred to the 
following : 

Representative Men : Napoleon — Emerson. 

Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World — Creasy. 

The Battle of Waterloo (in Childe Harold)— Lord Byron. 



CHAPTER V 
RESTORATION AND SECOND REPUBLIC 

The "Hundred Days" in which France joined with Napoleon 
in this new outbreak was an expensive enterprise. In the Treaty 
of Paris, November 1815, the allies exacted an indemnity of 700,- 
000,000 francs, the frontiers of France were restored as they were 
in 1790 and the priceless works of art which Napoleon had car- 
ried away were returned. For a time 150,000 foreign soldiers 
were left in France. France was in a weaker position than it 
had been for more than a hundred years. 

Reign of Louis XVIII 

The treaty of Paris confirmed the position of Louis on the 
throne to which he returned having- learned his lesson. He admit- 
ted the errors he had made during his brief reign before the re- 
turn of Napoleon, but the nation was far from being at rest and 
was divided into two peoples, as Louis declared. There was a 
violent royalist reaction, and in the south of France a "White 
Terror" reigned in which those of Bonapartist sympathies were 
massacred by royalist mobs. The assassination of the Duke of 
Berry by Louvel was attributed to the influence of liberal ideas, 
and during the last three years of this reign there were eight con- 
spiracies against the Government. 

The Story 
The Knights of Liberty. 1905. Eliza F. Pollard 

One of the conspiracies of the reign of Lou^ XVIII was that 
of the Carbonari, i. e., charcoal-burners, from the Italian word 
"Carbone" signifying charcoal. Hence it is the name of a secret 
political society founded in Italy during the time that Murat ruled 
in Naples. The object of this society was the expulsion of the 
French from Italy and the setting up of a democratic government. 
It was afterwards directed against the Bourbon rulers of Italy. 

455 



456 HISTORICAL FICTION 

In this story the operations of this organization seeking to 
overthrow Louis XVIII are set forth. In 1823 such a conspiracy 
arose in which Lafayette was involved. The plot was discovered 
the night before it was put into action, and some of the leaders 
were beheaded. This secret order extended throughout France, 
Italy and much of Europe. Its members consisted of all classes 
and were compelled to obey its rulings under pain of death. After 
1 81 6 its membership numbered sixty thousand. 

The activities of various organizations and those of the Count 
of Artois (afterwards Charles X) are detailed in this story. The 
Duke of Berry, who was assassinated, was the nephew and heir 
of Louis XVIII, and the son of the Count of Artois who, during 
the reign of his brother Louis, systematically opposed all liberal 
measures. It was declared by the Royalists that the murder of 
the Duke was the result of liberal ideas, although the assassin on 
the scaffold announced that he was alone in the deed and that no 
one else was implicated. 

Reign of Charles X 

Charles (1824- 1830) was the grandson of Louis XV and 
brother of Louis XVIII whom he succeeded. By the time he came 
to the throne he was too old (67) to modify his views and pre- 
judices, or to accommodate himself to the new conditions that had 
arisen. When the Revolution broke out he sought safety in exile, 
where he remained until the Restoration of the Bourbons. He 
adopted the most reactionary measures, being opposed to all lib- 
eral ideas, and so great was the opposition to his policy that he 
was compelled to abdicate in 1830. 

The story noted above, The Knights of Liberty, presents his 
attitude to the government and political tendencies prior to his 
accession to the throne. 

Reign of Louis Philippe 

In 1830 Charles X announced four ordinances which he de- 
clared to be essential to the safety of the State : the suppression 
of the liberty of the press ; dissolution of the new chamber ; re- 
construction of the electoral law ; and the new demand for a new 
election. Members of the chamber and journalists declared the 
ordinance to be void, which declaration was supported by riotous 



THE MODERN ERA 457 

demonstrations. It soon developed into what is known as the 
Revolution of 1830. Then the king tried to recall the ordinance, 
but the Revolution demanded his abdication. He spent the bal- 
ance of his life in England. 

Attention had been turned to Louis Philippe, son of Egalite, 
Duke of Orleans. He favored the popular cause and fought in 
the early campaigns of the Revolution. His adherents declared 
that he was the one to save the nation from both despotism and 
republican anarchy, and in 1830, he was declared king (1830- 
1848). He adopted the English parliamentary system, and Guizot, 
the prime minister, maintained the British system by which the 
king was subject to the limitations of the constitution, or as Thiers 
declared, "The king reigns but does not govern." The rule of 
Louis Philippe was unpopular with all classes, and in the Revolu- 
tion of 1848 he was compelled to abdicate, and like his prede- 
cessor went to England. 

The Stories 

The Fiery Dawn. 1901. Mary E. Coleridge 

When Charles X abdicated the question raised was, who should 
succeed him. One party declared for Louis Philippe, another for 
the son of Napoleon, many for the Due de Bordeaux. The latter 
was the son of the Duke of Berry, the son of Charles X, who 
was assassinated. He was later known as the Count of Cham- 
bord, and it was in favor of him, his grandson, that Charles ab- 
dicated. His mother was the Duchess of Berry, who took up his 
cause, determined to place him on the throne. 

In 1832, following the Revolution of 1830, the shock of which 
was still felt, the Duchess planned a campaign in support of her 
son. Had he been placed on the throne after Charles X, then 
she would have been Regent during his minority ; hence her in- 
terest in the matter was of a double nature. What she now re- 
gretted was, that in July when the Revolution was on that she did 
not herself present him to the people "renouncing in his name 
and her own all ultra-Bourbon traditions and ideas" and thereby 
perhaps saving the dynasty. Satisfied that there was no hope for 
her cause in the southern provinces she decided that in La Vendee 
she would succeed. The day fixed upon for the taking up of 
arms was May 24, 1832. Three days before that time she was 



458 HISTORICAL FICTION 

waited upon by leaders, the men who would suffer if the insur- 
rection proved to be a fiasco. They declared there was no hope 
for success, that had the south supported them La Vendee would 
have at once joined the insurrection. Nevertheless she deter- 
mined upon the uprising, and the result was the conflict with the 
royal troops which involved bloodshed on both sides. 

The Government now insisted upon measures that would bring 
to an end these claims of the Duchess. She was made a prisoner 
and finally sent to Palermo, and in 1870 died in Brussels. 

This extended sketch is necessary to make clear the historical 
setting of this story. These attempts to place on the throne her 
son at the beginning of the reign of Louis Philippe are a leading 
interest in this novel. 

Other Stories: 

The She-Wolves of Machecoul (1858) by Alexander Dumas 
deals with these same insurrectionary attempts to place the Duke 
of Bordeaux on the throne in 1832. 

A Nest of Royalists (1892) by Esme Stuart, having its setting 
in the uprising. 

A Romance of the Tuileries. 1902. Francis Gribble 

The central historical event of this story is the Revolution of 
1848, a sketch of which is given below. Related to this new out- 
break is the career of an estimable girl. 

The Second Republic. Presidency of Louis Napoleon 

In 1848 there were four things that contributed to the third 
Revolution that overthrew the monarchy and was so suddenly 
precipitated that all classes were taken by surprise. The follow- 
ing are the four things referred to: "The nation as a whole 
chafed at what was called spiritless yielding to England on ques- 
tions of foreign policy ; the Catholic party resented the control 
of the state over education ; the moderate Liberals were angered 
by the refusal of any electoral reform ; the working classes were 
exasperated by the leaning of the government to the capitalist 
classes." 

In this state of discontent it would require very little to fan 
the spark into a conflagration. This occasion took the form of a 



THE MODERN ERA 459 

government edict prohibiting a reform banquet at Paris in Febru- 
ary, 1848. The riots were first of a simple nature ; they then took 
on a graver form — a revolt of the republicans against the mon- 
archy. Twenty rioters were killed, and their bodies carried 
through the streets were exhibited to the people. On February 
24, a Republic was proclaimed and the king abdicated and fled 
to England. 

In June it was decreed that all workmen between eighteen and 
twenty-five should enlist in the army, that the workshops should 
be closed, and the great horde of men who had come to Paris be 
sent back to the provinces. A formidable insurrection was the 
result. The streets were barricaded and a siege was declared. 
"For four days the battle raged with terrible bloodshed on both 
sides, among the 5,000 slain being seven generals, two deputies 
and the Archbishop of Paris, Mgr. Affre, who was shot in a vain 
attempt to pacify the crowd. The troops eventually got the upper 
hand, but the young Republic was greatly weakened." 

The Constitution of the National Assembly (November 1848) 
provided for a president to be elected for a term of four years. 
Louis Napoleon, son of Napoleon's brother Louis, was a mem- 
ber of the Assembly and was elected president by an overwhelm- 
ing popular vote. 

The Stories 

The Mantle of the Emperor. 1906. Ladbroke Black 
and Robert Lynd 

This story belongs to the reign of Louis Philippe but it relates 
to the earlier career of Louis Napoleon, and hence is noted in 
the present connection. 

He was dominated by one idea — that he should occupy the 
imperial throne of his uncle, Napoleon I. When the Italian Revo- 
lution broke out in 1832 he caught the fervor of it and joined the 
insurgents. Fired by enthusiasm for Italian liberty he took the 
oath of the Carbonari. 

To accomplish his designs, in 1836 he attempted to capture 
the garrison of Strassburg, which was an amusing failure. Four 
years later he made a ridiculous attempt to take Boulogne, but 
only succeeeded in getting himself captured. He was sentenced 
to perpetual imprisonment in the fortress of Ham. After six 



4<5o HISTORICAL FICTION 

years he made his escape and fled to England. When the Revolu- 
tion of 1848 broke out he hurried to Paris and secured a seat in 
the National Assembly, and his election as President of the Re- 
public followed. 

These facts constitute the historical basis of this story. It 
traces the career of this adventurous and ambitious man through 
these periods of his Italian enthusiasm to his theatrical attempts 
which resulted in his confinement, and his escape from Ham. 

A Man of the People. 1871. E. Erckmann — 
A. Chatrian 

This is the story of the Revolution of 1848 which brought 
Louis Napoleon to Paris and paved the way for him eventually 
to realize his ambitions as Emperor of France. The same events 
are covered by The Mystery of Marseilles by Emile Zola in which 
the revolutionary spirit in Marseilles figures. 



CHAPTER VI 

THE SECOND EMPIRE AND THIRD 
REPUBLIC 

The presidency of the Republic was to Louis Napoleon but a 
means to an end, a stepping-stone to his design to create an Em- 
pire of which he, like his great uncle, should be Emperor. In all 
of his movements this was his dominating purpose. 

The conflict between Napoleon and the Assembly arose over 
the question of the revision of the constitution so as to provide 
for the reelection of the president for a second term. As the 
constitution was framed he was not immediately eligible for re- 
election. This change required a three fourths majority of the 
Assembly, and this was not secured. 

The time seemed ripe for a coup d'etat, and on the night of 
December i, 1851, the command of the army having been placed 
in the hands of the supporters of Napoleon, leading republican 
and royalist members of the Assembly were arrested in their beds. 
The people awoke to find decrees posted on the walls which de- 
clared the Assembly dissolved and universal suffrage restored, 
and called upon the voters to ratify the action of the president. 
Those who resisted were shot down, transported or exiled. The 
action was ratified by an overwhelming majority, and within one 
year by another tremendous majority of the popular vote, the 
Empire was formed with Louis as Napoleon III. Thus again 
was France under the rule of a democratic and military despotism. 

Reign of Napoleon III 
I. To the Franco-German War 

There was considerable difference between the First and Sec- 
ond Empires, just as there was a vast difference between the two 
emperors. They were alike in their ambition, unscrupulousness 
and passion for power, but there the resemblance ended. Napo- 
leon I was a man of profound genius and ability, a man of ex- 

461 



462 HISTORICAL FICTION 

traordinary administrative qualities and keenness of insight. In 
these and other respects there was no possible comparison be- 
tween the two men. 

During this reign, from 1852 to 1870, to the Franco-German 
War, France joined with England in 1854 in the Crimean War 
in support of Turkey against Russia. In 1859 Napoleon became 
the ally of Victor Emmanuel in the conflict between Austria and 
Sardinia. In i860 occurred the quarrel with Mexico which re- 
sulted in the imperial form of government in Mexico with Max- 
imilian as Emperor. But when the French army was withdrawn 
in 1867 Maximilian was seized and shot. When the Austro- 
Prussian War ended in 1866 Napoleon looked with uneasiness 
upon Prussian extension and demanded a reconstruction of the 
frontier. The result finally was the Franco-German War. 

The Stories 

The Flower of Destiny. 1905. William D. Orcutt 

When Louis Napoleon was a boy it had been planned that 
he should be married to his cousin Mathilda. Though they seemed 
to be attached to each other he preferred to choose his own wife, 
and decided that his action in the matter should not be controlled 
by any precedent. It was the "reigning beauty of Paris, Mademoi- 
selle Eugenie de Montijo," who attracted his attention. 

She was the granddaughter of Captain Fitzpatrick, of an old 
Scottish family that had married with the Stuarts. She spent 
some time in school in England, and by those who knew her at 
that time she is described as "a pretty, sprightly little girl, much 
given to independence, and something of a tomboy — a character 
there is reason to think she preserved until it was modified by the 
exigencies of her position." The following are a few statements 
of the emporer's announcement of his intended marriage : 

"I accede to the wish so often manifested by my people in an- 
nouncing my marriage to you. The union which I am about to 
contract is not in harmony with old political tradition and in this 
lies its advantage. . . . Thus impelled, as I have been, to 
part from the precedents that have been hitherto followed, my 
marriage is only a private matter. It remained for me to choose 
my wife. She who has become the object of my choice is of lofty 
birth, French in heart and education and by the memory of the 






THE MODERN ERA 463 

blood shed by her father in the cause of the Empire. She has, 
as a Spaniard, the advantage of not having a family in France to 
whom it would be necessary to give honors and dignities. Gifted 
with every quality of the heart, she will be the ornament of the 
throne, as in the hour of danger she would be one of its most 
courageous defenders. A pious Catholic, she will address one 
prayer with me to Heaven for the happiness of France. Kindly 
and good, she will show in the same position, I firmly believe, 
the virtues of the Empress Josephine." 

The historical interests of this story extend from the time 
when Louis escaped from his imprisonment in Ham because of 
his foolish attempt at Boulogne, to the inception of the Empire in 
1852. The portrayal of Eugenie is altogether favorable and rep- 
resents her as being at one with her husband's aspirations in the 
legitimate pursuance of his ambitions. Their marriage occurred 
in 1853. Seated together upon the throne the marriage contract 
was read and signed by both and then by all the princes and prin- 
cesses present. 

Ishmael. 1884. Mary E. Braddon 

In the historical sketch are given the events leading to the 
establishment of the Empire. The action of the Assembly and the 
coup d' etat of Napoleon are strikingly portrayed by this story 
which covers the larger portion of this period of Napoleon's 
rule and policies. 

Between Two Thieves. 1912. Richard Dehan 

Napoleon "was always making decisive moves without any 
clear idea as to their practical results." This is seen in his dec- 
laration to aid Italy in securing her independence as far as the 
Adriatic. His promise was only partially redeemed. The essen- 
tial weakness of his character was exhibited both in his direction 
of this campaign and the outcome of it. Alarmed by the revolu- 
tionary movement in Italy and the Prussian attitude, he suddenly 
made peace with Austria. His self-imposed mission was a dismal 
failure. The Italians and their sympathizers in France were dis- 
gusted at such half-measures and what they were sure to involve. 

The humiliation of such a failure was bad enough, but that 



464 HISTORICAL FICTION 

was not all. The annexation of Savoy and Nice at this time by 
the treaty of Turin and Piedmont could not but create the im- 
pression that Napoleon was actuated by ulterior motives. It "gave 
a sinister complexion to the Emperor's action and aroused the 
suspicions of Europe by suggesting a revival of the first Napo- 
leon's territorial ambitions." 

This story describes the political dissoluteness of the empire, 
and the schemings of the emperor in whose hands the new Con- 
stitution placed practically absolute authority. The Chambers 
were rendered powerless, the freedom of the press seriously 
crippled and the right of public meeting and free speech sup- 
pressed. 

His Excellency. 1876. Emile Zola 

This noted French author (1840- 1902) had achieved consid- 
erable literary work before taking up his great series on the 
Rougon-Mac quart Family. The latter as explained by himself 
was "to give the physiological and social history of a family 
under the Second Empire." It comprised twenty volumes and 
set forth the strong impulse in every member of the family to 
crime and vice. Zola took a deep interest in the Captain Dreyfus 
affair, and was one of the captain's defenders. 

This story is a portrayal of the social and political corrup- 
tions and irregularities of this period. It also describes the re- 
lation of Napoleon to his counsellors, and deals especially with 
Rouher, one of his ministers. These chief counsellors and sup- 
porters, especially the Duke of Morny, the Duke of Persigny and 
Rouher the advocate, by their advice were largely responsible for 
many of the defects of his administration. Rouher had charge 
of his financial interests, and "whoever might be the emperor's 
ministers, this little clique of his personal adherents — De Morny, 
Persigny, Saint-Armaud, Fleury, Rouher and Fould — were al- 
ways around their master, giving him their advice and sharing 
(so far as he allowed anyone to share) his intimate councils." 

II. The Franco-German War 

In less than one hundred years, since Louis XVI succeeded 
to the throne in 1774, France passed through three Revolutions, 
created two Republics and two Empires besides the Restoration 



THE MODERN ERA 465 

of the Monarchy for a period of thirty-three years. Added to 
all of these changes and catastrophes, she is now on the brink of 
another with all its bloodshed and terror. 

In the early part of 1870, on the occasion of the union of the 
two Chambers, President Schneider addressing the Emperor said, 
"In supporting the Empire by more than seven millions of suf- 
frages, France says to you : 'Sire, the country is with you ; ad- 
vance confidently in the path of progress, and establish liberty 
based on respect for the laws and Constitution.' France places 
the cause of liberty under the protection of your dynasty." To 
which the Emperor replied : "Who can be opposed to the pro- 
gressive march of a dynasty founded by a great people in the 
midst of political disturbance and fortified by liberty?" These 
high-sounding and empty phrases would fail to deceive any one 
cognizant of the real conditions. It required but a blow to shatter 
this imperial structure in the process of decay, and in less than 
four months from the time of these lofty expressions the Empire 
was in ruins and its Emperor a prisoner. 

The immediate cause of the war was the offer by Germany 
of the vacant throne of Spain to a kinsman of the king of Prus- 
sia, Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern. To this France at once ob- 
jected, and rightly so, since it meant the establishment of a Prus- 
sian power on its frontier. A protest was made to Prussia which 
was conceded and Leopold retired. Not satisfied with this, how- 
ever, Napoleon demanded that the concession be formally an- 
nounced, and that France be definitely guaranteed that there 
would be no future recurrence of such an act on the part of Prus- 
sia. This the latter refused to grant and France at once declared 
war. 

The cause, however, lay deeper than this. In 1864 Prussia 
and Austria joined in a war against Denmark to secure the Bal- 
tic Duchies. For the unification of Germany, Bismarck had fore- 
seen the necessity of war with Austria, and his opportunity now 
came in the division of the spoils which they had just won. Hop- 
ing to profit out of the war, Napoleon permitted Prussia to crush 
Austria, and was beaten out of his expected gain at every point 
by the sagacity of Bismarck. Every proposal was checkmated; 
Prussia was coming to the ascendency and the French throne 
was shaken to its foundations. 

This affair of Leopold and the Spanish throne brought mat- 



466 HISTORICAL FICTION 

ters to a head. The French feeling against Prussia was intense, 
and Napoleon knew the war would be welcomed. To come off 
victorious would raise his prestige and put new strength into the 
staggering empire. "The Empress Eugenie had set her heart 
upon it for the sake of her son, whose prospects she believed 
could be secured only by some striking military success." The die 
was cast and the war was on that was to bring the empire of 
Napoleon toppling to the ground. 



The Stories 

The Drums of War. 1910. Henry de Vere Stacpool 

In the story the historical section having to do with this pe- 
riod comes at the close, when the people of France are in a fever 
of excitement now that war has been declared. This intense 
feeling is described, after a delineation of the conditions existing 
during the last years of the Empire. 

The Plebiscite. 1872. E. Erckmann— A. Chatrian 

The Prussians for a considerable period had realized that a 
war with France could not be escaped, and placed themselves 
in a state of preparedness. When war was declared they were 
well organized and ready to strike. Napoleon, on the other hand, 
had failed to calculate what such a war would require. As al- 
ready noted, it was characteristic of him to take decisive positions 
unsupported by existing conditions. His army was not half as 
large as the Prussian army, while the latter was supplemented 
with a large reserve force. The French army was disorganized 
by Napoleon's Mexican expedition. Bismarck, who was well pre- 
pared to precipitate a crisis, knew that France was in no state to 
match his resources, and could with perfect safety, through the 
Spanish affair, force the issue. Thus, without any of the re- 
sources adequate to the occasion, without organization, muni- 
tions or allies, France plunged headlong into the war. 

It is this state of unpreparedness in France that is described 
by this story, as well as the general unfitness of the empire to enter 
into such a struggle. 



THE MODERN ERA 467 

The Maids of Paradise. 1902. Robert W. Chambers 

Following the attack on Saarbruck in which the French were 
defeated, the next day MacMahon's corps at Wissembourg was 
surprised and cut to pieces. The fugitives spread over the coun- 
try, and no officer seemed to be around to restore order. The 
Germans began the war with nearly a million men; the French 
had about two hundred thousand, with five hundred thousand on 
their records. So thin was their line it could be broken at any 
point. 

Two days after the rout and defeat at Wissembourg, was 
fought the battle of Worth between MacMahon and the Prussian 
Crown Prince. The French distinguished themselves by brilliant 
cavalry charges. They were completely defeated, and only the 
cavalry prevented the defeat from becoming a rout. These re- 
verses decided Napoleon to retreat and cover Paris in which de- 
cision MacMahon concurred. This the Empress strongly op- 
posed. It was a sad contrast between the cheering of a few days 
before as the army left for the field and the present prospect. 

This story gives a fine and stirring description of the battle 
of Worth. The splendid dashes of the cavalry in this action are 
well portrayed. 

The Garden of Swords. 1899. Max Pemberton 

This English writer (1863-) was born in Birmingham. After 
graduating ?t Caius College, Cambridge, he became a member of 
the staff of Vanity Fair, and began writing stories and articles 
for various periodicals. From 1896 to 1906 he was editor of 
Cassell's Migazine. 

In some manner a report reached Paris that the Crown Prince 
and 26,000 men were made prisoners. The city went wild with 
rejoicing. At that moment the broken ranks of the French were 
retreating before the foe. Consternation followed rejoicing when 
a few hours later came the order from Napoleon, "Hasten prepa- 
rations for the defence of Paris." The fighting was less than a 
week old and the French were stunned by these reverses. Then, 
during the next week, Strassburg was besieged. 

This story is a description of the war to this point. Inter- 
woven with the story are the battle of Worth and the siege of 



468 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Strassburg. The scenes through which a French officer and his 
wife passed bring out the tragic events of these days. 

The Disaster. 1897. Paul and Victor Marguerite 

These two brothers, Paul, (i860-) and Victor (1866-), French 
novelists, were born in Algeria. Their father, a French general, 
fell at Sedan in this war. They wrote both jointly and individ- 
ually and produced a series of romances dealing with this conflict. 

Metz was a strongly fortified city, and in the serious situa- 
tions in which the French army was being placed, MacMahon 
and Napoleon were striving to bring as large a force as possible 
to this city. But no sooner had this been effected than a German 
army of 250,000 men began to surround them. Their only re- 
course was to retreat. When Napoleon proposed that Lorraine 
be surrendered, word came from Paris that such an act would 
create a revolt. At this point he relinquished his position as com- 
mander-in-chief to Marshal Bazaine, and was practically dropped 
out of the army. As soon as this fact was known his authority 
ceased to exist. 

After the battle of Gravelotte in which the French showed 
the greatest bravery but were badly defeated, Bazaine was forced 
into Metz with a force of 170,000. There he was closely be- 
sieged. Just one month before, Napoleon had declared war amid 
the enthusiasm of the populace, and now, with his army suffer- 
ing defeat and besieged in strongholds, the commander-in-chief 
shut up in Metz, Napoleon as Emperor had ceased to exist and 
an anti-Bonapartist general was made military governor of Paris. 
On October 27, Metz was compelled to surrender after an inten- 
sive siege of a little over two months. 

This story is a description of the movements of the war in 
the north-east section. It is a forceful presentation of the con- 
ditions created by the siege of Metz and the fall of the city. It 
is a strong story of these operations. 

Other Stories: 

A Bid for Loyalty (1909) by James Blyth, in which the posi- 
tion is taken that a German bribe influenced the surrender of 
Metz. In this situation the jewels of the Empress are given for 
the needs of France. 



THE MODERN ERA 469 

The Virgin Fortress (19 12) by Max Pemberton, giving inci- 
dents in connection with the siege of Metz. 



The Downfall. 1892. EmileZola 

The battle of Gravelotte prevented Bazaine and MacMahon 
from uniting. While a large German force was left to besiege 
Metz, the main German army sought MacMahon. The French 
were concentrated at Sedan, the emperor being with MacMahon's 
army, and here the Germans found them. All told the army num- 
bered about 100,000 men. But as Victor Hugo declared, it was 
a mere crowd of men, without order, without discipline, and ap- 
parently under no particular anxiety. The following splendid 
description by Hugo portrays this critical moment of the war : 

"The army slept soundly on the night of August 31. No cav- 
alry reconnoissance was made that night; the guards were not 
doubled. The French believed themselves more than forty miles 
from the German army. 

"But that night, while the French army in fancied security, 
was sleeping at Sedan, this is what was passing among the enemy. 

"By a quarter to two A. M. the army of the Prince of Saxony 
was on its march eastward with orders not to fire a shot till five 
o'clock, and to make as little noise as possible. They marched 
without baggage of any kind. At the same hour another division 
of the Prussian army marched, with equal noiselessness, from 
another direction, on Sedan, while the Wurtemburgers secured the 
road to Mezieres, thereby cutting off the possibility of a retreat 
into Belgium. 

"At the same moment, namely, five o'clock, on all the hills 
around Sedan, at all points of the compass, appeared a dense, 
dark mass of German troops, with their commanders and artil- 
lery. Not one sound had been heard by the French army, not 
even an order. Two hundred and fifty thousand men were in a 
circle on the heights round the Sink of Givonne. They had come 
as stealthily and as silently as serpents. They were there when 
the sun rose, and the French army were prisoners." 

The German artillery from the heights covered every part of 
the valley crowded with men. The French in their disorganized 
state fought bravely. The fight was simply a massacre. There on 
September 1, was fought one of the decisive battles of the world — 



470 HISTORICAL FICTION 

a battle that resulted in the surrender of the largest army ever 
known to have been taken in the field, a battle that dethroned a dyn- 
asty and changed the form of government in France. MacMahon 
with his army of 100,000 men and Napoleon surrendered. France 
was left with her other forces besieged in cities, but without an 
army in the field. 

The night of September 1, Napoleon's aide-de-camp carried 
to the German army this note : 

Monsieur Mon Frere : — Not having been able to die in the 
midst of my troops, it only remains for me to place my sword in 
the hands of your Majesty. 

I am your Majesty's good brother, 

Napoleon. 
To this the Prussian king replied : — 

Monsieur Mon Frere : — Regretting the circumstances under 
which we meet, I accept the sword o^your Majesty, and I invite 
you to designate one of your officers, provided with full powers, 
to treat for the capitulation of the army which has so bravely 
fought under your command. On my side I have named General 
von Moltke for that purpose. 

I am your Majesty's good brother, 

William. 

In Zola's story two soldiers pass through these stirring events 
and paint a picture of the hardship and suffering contingent upon 
these operations. The battlefield, hospitals and imprisonment 
are realistically described. The series of defeats of the French 
forces reaches the climax at Sedan. After Sedan comes Paris 
with its untold sufferings and bloodshed. 

Other Stories : 

Great Heart Gillian (1909) by John Oxenham, describing the 
march of the French army to its fateful Sedan, the fight and capit- 
ulation. 

A Hero of Sedan (1909) by Captain F. S. Brereton. 

In Time of War. 1880. James F.Cobb 

With the remnant of the French army shut up in Metz and 
Strassburg, after Sedan the way was now open to Paris, the Ger- 
man army reaching the city September 19. When the news reached 



THE MODERN ERA 471 

Paris of the defeat and surrender of the army, an insurrection 
immediately followed, the Empire was overthrown and a Re- 
public proclaimed. The Government of National Defence now 
formed was headed by Jules Favre and Leon Gambetta. 

Paris at this time was one of the best fortified cities in the 
world. But Bazaine, both incompetent and disloyal, surrendered 
Metz, thus bringing to the capital another great besieging force. 
Gambetta escaped in a balloon, and in Tours exerted his energies 
to raise an army to relieve Paris, but in vain. 

During the siege of nearly five months the misery and suffer- 
ing in Paris were beyond description. Famine drove the people 
to every extremity. Butter was five dollars a pound and cab- 
bages were sold by the leaf. Eggs were sold at three dollars a 
dozen. 

The bombardment of the city began in December, no shot 
having been fired since the beginning of the siege. When face to 
face with starvation, Paris surrendered, January 28, 1871. In the 
peace that was signed France was compelled to pay an indemnity 
of $1,000,000,000, and to cede the greater part of Alsace and Lor- 
raine including the fortified cities of Strassburg and Metz. 

This story covers the great events of the war which began 
August 2, 1870, and ended January 2S, 1871, a period of less than 
six months. The sufferings during the siege are especially por- 
trayed. It also sets forth the conflict between the Government 
and the Commune and the destruction of the latter. In the midst 
of the prevailing unrest, fears of a monarchical uprising, socialistic 
contentions and the economic state of the moment, a part of the 
National Guard rebelled against the new Government established 
at Versailles. The government set up by them was called the 
Commune, which adopted the red flag of the socialists. On March 
18 the revolt broke out and continued for a little over two months. 
On May 21 the government troops entered the city, "and there 
followed a week of the fiercest civil warfare that history records. 
Insurgents taken with arms in their hands were shot down with- 
out ceremony. Materially and politically Paris suffered more 
injury from the Commune than from the Germans. France was 
in no mood to show mercy ; the Communards were hunted down 
relentlessly, and more than seven thousands were sent as convicts 
to New Caledonia in the South Pacific Ocean." 



472 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Other Stories : 

Under the Iron Flail (1902) by John Oxenham, in which the 
two great sieges, that of Metz and that of Paris, are of chief inter- 
est, and carries the events to the crushing of the Commune. 

Paris at Bay (1897) by Herbert Hayens, tracing the events 
to the siege of Paris and the overthrow of the Commune. 

Robert Helmont (1871) by Alphonse Daudet, a portrayal of 
the siege and the awful sufferings attending it. 

Ashes of Empire. 1899. Robert W. Chambers 

The escape of the Empress Eugenie from Paris is an inter- 
esting incident of this story. When the news of the surrender 
at Sedan reached Paris the situation became so dangerous because 
of the threatenings of the mob that ambassadors in the city 
insisted upon the Empress escaping to a place of safety. Reach- 
ing a cab in the midst of the howling mob that was denouncing 
the emperor, they were taken to the home of an American den- 
tist, Dr. Thomas Evans, who got her safely out of Paris to Deau- 
ville. Here she was secretly conveyed to the yacht of Sir John 
Burgoyne and then learned that her son was safe in England. 
After battling with a terrific storm they arrived in England. After 
the signing of peace, Napoleon landed in Dover. In 1873 he died 
at Chiselhurst, and the Empress for more than thirty years con- 
tinued to live in England in lonely widowhood. Her son was 
killed in Africa in 1879 m tne Zulu War as a British volunteer. 

The Third Republic 

Far greater than the spectacle of the disaster that left France 
bruised and bleeding and humiliated is the spectacle of the forti- 
tude, heroism, courage, patriotism and ennobling and inspiring 
faith in herself by which she arose from the ashes of the empire 
to a progressive democracy, prosperity, strength and her high 
place among the nations of the world. 

What seemed like an irreparable disaster was in fact the hour 
of rebirth ; she was about to emerge into a more enduring life. 
"France once more gave magnificent proof to the world of the 
sterling qualities of her democracy, her unimpaired vitality, her 
marvelous recuperative power. Shaken as she was she rose from 
her humiliation with splendid courage and in the sublime faith 



THE MODERN ERA 473 

that the future was still hers. We know today how triumphantly 
that faith has been justified. " 

The Story 

Our Lady of Deliverance. 1901. John Oxenham 

During this present period in French history a matter that 
attracted world-wide attention was the Dreyfus case. Alfred 
Dreyfus was born in Upper Alsace of Jewish parentage in 1859, 
and came to Paris in 1874. Here he pursued his military studies 
and rendered efficient service in various regiments. In 1891 his 
abilities were recognized by his being appointed to the general 
staff. In 1894, without any intimation whatever, he was arrested 
on the charge of having furnished to the German government mili- 
tary secrets. He was tried by a secret court. The evidence pre- 
sented in support of the charge was wholly inadequate, and utterly 
incapable of establishing a case. Nevertheless on this flimsy evi- 
dence he was condemned and imprisoned on Devil's Island. 

Such injustice created a wave of indignation that swept over 
the world, which was still further augmented by the treatment he 
received during his imprisonment. In one way and another the 
conviction became fixed that Dreyfus was the victim of a das- 
tardly conspiracy, that it was convenient to make him the scape- 
goat, and when it was shown by "reliable testimony that Major 
Esterhazy, an officer of doubtful character, had written the 
memorandum known as the bordereau, an important document 
which had been produced against Dreyfus," the conviction re- 
garding the conspiracy became practically an established fact. 
This memorandum was apparently in the hand-writing of Drey- 
fus, but in 1896 another paper was brought to the War Office 
bearing the signature of Major Esterhazy. The handwriting in 
this case, which was his genuine signature, corresponded exactly 
with that of the memorandum, while that of Dreyfus did not. 

The case took on a serious and far-reaching importance in 
that high officials became involved and their reputations were 
ruined. The corruption of the French army was exposed, and the 
Brisson ministry resigned. In his trial Dreyfus was defended 
by his brother and especially by Emile Zola, the French novelist, 
who showed that the charge against Dreyfus was the result of an 
anti-Semitic army plot. 



474 HISTORICAL FICTION 

In 1899 a new trial was granted in which much of the evi- 
dence was shown to be forged. Notwithstanding this new de- 
velopment and the utter inadequacy of the evidence presented he 
was again condemned, but was pardoned by President Loubet. 
He now proceeded to establish his innocence, and succeeded in 
doing so and thoroughly justified by ample proof the faith that had 
been reposed in his innocence. The facts that could not be ig- 
nored were set before the Supreme Court of France in 1906, 
which fully acquitted him, and administered a severe rebuke to 
his accusers. He was then commissioned as Major in the army 
and was enrolled in the Legion of Honor. 

This famous case is the setting of Oxenham's story. It was 
dedicated to Dreyfus at the time he was imprisoned on Devil's 
Island, and when he was released he took occasion to express his 
appreciation of the author's work and its dedication. 

Thus in these brief sketches, and by the means of this great 
body of historical fiction, we have traced the evolution of the 
French people. In all the stress and storm of the revolutions 
and disasters by which she was shaken we have seen her emerge 
a greater and stronger nation. In the titanic struggle through 
which she and the world have just passed her strength, unity, and 
patriotism have been grandly exemplified with her land deso- 
lated by warfare and drenched in blood. 



AMERICA 
TO THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 

The discovery of America to the world was the birth of a new 
era in the history of mankind. It was more than finding a new 
portion of the globe ; it was to result eventually in the realization 
of those principles and institutions which Europe at that time 
was struggling towards. America was born to the world at a time 
when the Old World was breaking its fetters, a time of activity 
and inquiry, when the spirit of bondage was beginning to yield 
to the spirit of emancipation. 

The Renaissance was transforming the intellectual, political 
and social conditions and was creating the new era. Italy was 
leading Europe in culture, and the nations were gathering new 
strength. France was becoming centralized; in England the 
Wars of the Roses had just ended and the two houses were united ; 
in Germany Frederick III, the last emperor to be crowned at 
Rome, was in the last year of his reign and Maximilian I about 
to succeed to the throne; Spain was engaged in the work of 
conquest. 

Other great forces were at work. The fires of the Reforma- 
tion were about to light up the skies of Europe. It was the break- 
ing up of the old order. The general stir, the revival of learn- 
ing, new inventions and discoveries were creating a new order. 
Political and social forces were engaged in the struggle for relig- 
ious liberty. A new "individualism manifested itself in the devel- 
opment of a national spirit. Men began to inquire the reason 
and basis for a world empire, to the maintenance of which the 
Christian Church had committed itself, and for which it asked 
the allegiance of the people of Europe." 

In the search for a new route to India, a new continent arose 
in the pathway of the discoverers. The Azores had already been 
discovered in 1441, and Diaz rounded the Cape of Good Hope 

475 



476 HISTORICAL FICTION 

in 1847, believing he had found the path to the Indies. It was a 
propitious moment for the discovery of America in whose history 
and civilization the growing sense of liberty was to be given such 
an expression. Everything was beginning anew to form a new 
epoch in human history. Thus it was under such conditions of 
change, discovery, revival and revolution that America came upon 
the stage of world-action. Already that which America was to 
exemplify so greatly was taking definite form in the life of Eu- 
rope, and under these larger impulses the new world was brought 
to light. 

The history of America has been a history of liberty, first as 
an escape from the intolerance of the Old World, then her own 
national independence, then the emancipation of those within 
her bounds, and finally in securing the liberty of those that were 
oppressed beyond her own shores. From the moment of her dis- 
covery to the present time we can say with Emerson that "America 
is another word for opportunity." 

That the writer of historical fiction has in the history of this 
great New World a most inviting field for the exercise of his 
talents will fully appear in what is to follow. 



CHAPTER I 

DISCOVERY AND CONQUEST 

For a period of one hundred years, from 1492 to 1592, from 
Columbus to De Fuca, the work of discovery was prosecuted. 
Columbus, the discoverer of the New World, was a native of 
Italy, born at Genoa, but it was Isabella, Queen of Spain, who 
furnished the means by which he might demonstrate his theories, 
and hence his discoveries were pursued under the direction of 
and in the name of Spain and not that of his native land. When 
he finally reached the new land he supposed that it was India, 
and for this reason called the natives "Indians," a name which 
has inaccurately been attached to them ever since. The follow- 
ing is an outline of one hundred years of discovery. 

Historical Outline. 

Columbus — 1492 — Spanish — the New World. 

The Cabots — 1497 — English — Cape Breton. 

Sebastian Cabot — 1498 — English — the mainland from Cape 
Breton to Albemarle Sound. The discoveries of the Cabots were 
the ground of England's claim to the right to colonize North 
America. 

Cortereal — 1501 — Portuguese — New England to Newfound- 
land. 

Americus Vespucius — 1 501-1503 — Spanish — Brazil. The name 
America, from his name attached to the first printed account. 

Denys — 1506 — French — Gulf of St. Lawrence. 

Ponce de Leon — 1512 — Spanish — Florida. The ground of 
Spanish claims to Florida. 

Balboa — 1513 — Spanish — Isthmus of Darien — Pacific Ocean. 

Ayllon — 1 520 — Spanish — South Carolina. 

Magellan — 1 520 — Spanish — South America — Philippine Is- 
lands. 

477 



478 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Cortez — 1 521 — Spanish — Mexico. 

Verrazzani — 1524 — French — South Carolina to Nova Scotia. 
Narvaez — 1528 — Spanish — Gulf States. 
Pizarro — 1532 — Spanish — Conquest of Peru. 
Cartier — 1534 — French — River St. Lawrence. Basis of 
French claim to this region. 

Fray Marcos — 1539 — Spanish — New Mexico. 

Coronado — 1540 — Spanish — Rio Grande and Colorado Rivers. 

De Soto — 1 541 — Spanish — Southern States — Mississippi. 

Caprillo — 1 543 — Spanish — Pacific Coast. 

Drake — 1578 — English — The Coast to Oregon. 

De Fuca — 1592 — Spanish — The Coast to British Columbia. 

From this outline will be noted the dominance of Spanish in- 
terest in the work of discovery, which brought to her from these 
new lands vast stores of wealth. After the destruction of the 
Spanish Armada by the English, her achievements in these re- 
spects were greatly checked. This charpter covers the period 
from 1492 to 1606. 

The Stories 
Westward with Columbus. 1894. William G. Stables 

It was m Lisbon, where the young Columbus (1436- 1506) 
supported himself as a map-maker, that he met the leading navi- 
gators of the time. Little is known of his boyhood. At the age 
of fourteen he went to sea. He was actuated, not only by the 
ambition to open up a new trade route to India, since the over- 
land routes had been closed by the Turks, but he desired to in- 
troduce Christianity to the people of Asia. After a long and dis- 
heartening trip, and just as a mutiny was about to break out 
among the seamen, land was sighted. The first act of Columbus 
was to kneel upon the beach and offer thanks to God for his suc- 
cess. 

This story traces the career of Columbus from his boyhood 
in Genoa to his sea-faring life which, in demonstrating his con- 
victions, issued in his discovery of the new world, and in which 
the qualities of this great character appear. 



THE MODERN ERA 479 

The Romance of the Fountain. 1905. Eugene Lee- 
Hamilton 

Ponce de Leon, Governor of Porto Rico, went to Florida, riot 
only to find gold, but a spring of which the Indians had told him. 
This spring, it was declared, possessed marvelous qualities having 
the power to restore one's youth. Ponce de Leon was no longer 
young and he desired to renew his youth. Instead of finding the 
magical spring he discovered Florida. He landed there on Easter 
Sunday, which the Spanish call Pascau Florida, or Festival of 
Flowers ; hence the name which he gave this region. 

This is an interesting story of the labors of this discoverer, 
and the manner in which the fable of the spring led him to Florida 
which he tried to colonize, but was slain by the Indians. 

By Right of Conquest. 1890. George A. Henty 

This story takes us to Mexico. In 15 19 Cortez (1485-1547) 
an adventurous Spanish soldier entered Mexico. He had a fleet 
of eleven vessels, 700 Spaniards and ten small field pieces. When 
he landed he burned his vessels and thus cut off the means of 
flight. He fought his way to the Aztec capital. He finally suc- 
ceeded in conquering the natives whom he treated with great 
cruelty. 

The operations of Cortez in the subduing of Mexico are set 
forth in this story, in which a young Englishman plays a part. 

The White Conquerors of Mexico. 1893. 
Kirk Monroe 

Montezuma was the Aztec emperor of Mexico when Cortez 
invaded that territory in 15 19. He received the explorers in a 
friendly spirit, but planned their destruction. Cortez learned of 
the conspiracy and seized Montezuma as a hostage. The natives 
rose in revolt which Montezuma tried to quiet. He was struck 
with a stone and soon expired. The Spaniards were defeated, 
but in 1 52 1 they returned and forced their way into the city. 

This story relates these circumstances of the Spanish inva- 
sion under Cortez, the resistance of the Aztecs and the conquest 
of these tribes by the assistance rendered Cortez by the Toltecs. 



4 8o HISTORICAL FICTION 

This people occupied the entire central plateau of Mexico and at- 
tained to a considerable state of civilization. They were finally 
expelled by the Aztecs. 



The Virgin of the Sun. 1898. George Griffith 

Pizarro (1471-1541) entered into the prevailing spirit of ad- 
venture and discovery in the new world. In conjunction with two 
others, in 1524 he fitted out an expedition and discovered Peru. 
Unable to conquer the country with his small force he returned to 
Spain for reinforcements and reached Peru in 1532. After a 
severe struggle he succeeded in conquering the country. De Soto, 
the bosom friend of Pizarro, took also a distinguished part in 
the conquest of Peru. These two men gained a fortune here, 
and De Soto was made Governor of Cuba. The City of Cuzco, 
which was founded in 1020, and was at one time the capital of 
the Incas, was taken and destroyed by Pizarro in 1535. 

In this story the conquests of Pizarro and De Soto in Peru are 
related. The history is carried to the capture of Cuzco. 

The Inca's Ransom. 1898. Albert Lee 

The government of the Incas, that of the ruling class of the 
Peruvian Indians, was the best established of any in the country. 
The Mayas and Aztecs, however, were a more enlightened peo- 
ple. The Peruvians excelled in the building of roads. They had 
an abundance of gold, which they used for ornamenting their 
palaces and the temple of the Incas. Before Pizarro invaded 
their country Atahualpa moved his capital to Quito. At a friendly 
banquet Pizarro, by a treacherous expedient, seized Atahualpa and 
demanded of him a vast ransom in gold. After securing the 
ransom he accused him of treason and had him executed. Lima, 
the capital, was founded by Pizarro, and there he was murdered 
in I 541. 

Pizarro's invasion of Peru is fully described by this story, 
and the avariciousness with which the Spaniards seized the wealth 
of the country. It sets forth the treachery of Pizarro in seizing 
the Inca and the ransom demanded. The conflict between the 
Spaniards and Peruvians is quite minutely presented. 



THE MODERN ERA 481 

Other Stories: 

The Crimson Conquest (1907) by C. B. Hudson, which por- 
trays the treachery and vicious methods of the invaders. 

Under the Southern Cross (1872) by Deborah Alcock, which 
pictures the people of the conquered territory. 

Vasconcelos. 1857. William G. Simms 

Charles V appointed Fernando De Soto as Governor of Flor- 
ida. This region was considered by the Spaniards to consist of the 
territory between the Atlantic and the Mississippi. In 1539 De 
Soto landed in the country with 600 men. They wandered over 
this region seeking mineral treasures, their Indian guides»assur- 
ing them they would find such. They expected to find here what 
De Soto had secured in such large measure in Peru. Reaching 
the Mississippi in 1541 they ascended it and took a northwesterly 
course. Their treatment of the natives was cruel in the extreme. 
Worn out by the fatigue of fruitless searching, in 1542 De Soto 
was stricken with fever and died, and was buried in the Missis- 
sippi he had discovered. 

This period of Spanish Invasion is traced by this story, the 
wandering of the invaders, and the death and burial of De Soto. 
They buried him in the river that the Indians might not discover 
the loss of their leader and thus consider that the band might be 
more easily attacked. 

The Sword of Justice. 1899. Sheppard Stevens 

In 1565 the Spaniards built St. Augustine, Florida, which has 
the distinction of being the oldest city in the United States. At 
Port Royal the French had established a colony. Two years later 
(1564) the French returned under Laudonniere and built a second 
Port Royal on the river St. John in Florida. These operations 
were carried on in open defiance of the Spaniards, who had built 
St. Augustine as a defence against the French. The Spanish 
governor at that time was Menendez. He uprooted the French 
colony, and this was the last of French attempts to settle territory 
in that region. 

This story has its setting in these days of Spanish settlement, 
and the conflict with the French in their encroachments upon 
Spanish domains. 



CHAPTER II 

THE FOUNDING OF THE COLONIES 

Virginia 

Private individuals had attempted to colonize in the new world, 
attempts which were very unsuccessful. This led to the forming 
of colonizing companies chartered by royal grant. From James I, 
in 1606, a general charter was secured by some men of importance 
which organized them as the Virginia Company, and authorized 
them to establish and govern colonies in Virginia. This was the 
general name for the whole unsettled region, and not confined to 
the present state of Virginia. 

The Stories 
My Lady Pokahontas. 1879. John E. Cooke 

In 1606 the London Company sent 120 emigrants, who, in 
1607, selected a peninsula on the James River for their settlement, 
which they called Jamestown. It was an unhealthy region, and 
not well protected from the Indians, who attacked the colony 
within two weeks of their arrival. The leading figure in this con- 
nection is Captain John Smith, who has given two accounts of 
this colony in the True Relation and the General History. 

In his account he tells us how the Indians were about to kill 
him, when they had made him a prisoner, and how Pocahontas, 
the daughter of the great Powhatan placed herself between him 
and the club and saved his life. This story is omitted from his 
first account. Smith was the leading man in this little settlement. 
He fought the Indians and would bring them to a peaceable state 
until another outbreak would occur. 

This American novelist (1830- 1886) was born at Winchester, 
Va. He was the son of a distinguished lawyer and himself took 
up law. He is perhaps best known by The Virginian Comedians, 
a Colonial romance. During the Civil War he entered the Con- 

482 



THE MODERN ERA 483 

federate service on Stonewall Jackson's staff. Later he was made 
inspector general of the horse artillery of the Army of Northern 
Virginia. Following the war he devoted his time to constant 
writing. His novels have their setting in military events in 
Virginia. 

This story is a good description of this early settlement, the 
contests with the Indians and the place in the fortunes of this 
colony occupied by Pocahontas. Smith tells us how, when he was 
lying on the ground, after being condemned to death, Pocahontas 
rushed forward when an Indian was about to club him to death, 
and clasped him in her arms. She was a true friend to the colony, 
and contrived to give them warning when the Indians were plan- 
ning an attack upon them. She married John Rolfe, an English- 
man, who settled in Virginia. When she visited England, at a 
later time, the King and Queen treated her royally. She died in 
England. 

White Aprons. 1896. Maud W. Goodwin 

Berkeley was appointed Governor of Virginia by Charles II. 
The colonists became dissatisfied with the manner in which their 
rights as Englishmen were interfered with by both Governor and 
King. When the Indians started in to massacre the settlers the 
latter demanded that troops be sent against the savages, a demand 
which Berkeley refused. Led by Nathaniel Bacon, a company 
of armed colonists was formed. Ordered to lay down their arms, 
they went out and defeated the Indians, and returning found the 
regular militia waiting for them. In the battle that followed 
the rebels were victorious. What helped to win the day was the 
strategy of the rebels in forcing some women friends of the 
governor to stand in front of them while the garrison were firing 
their cannon. Bacon was much complimented on his "White 
Apron Brigade." This uprising is known as Bacon's Rebellion. 

From this statement the title of this story will at once be ex- 
plained. The story has its setting in this event. This was the 
period following the Restoration in England, and the complexion 
of the times in the Court life and intellectual interests figure in the 
story. Shortly after this rebellion Bacon died and Berkeley had 
twenty-three of the rebels executed. He was recalled by Charles 



484 HISTORICAL FICTION 

II, who said, "That old fool has hanged more men in that naked 
country than I have done for the murder of my father." 

The Heart's Highway. 1900. Mary E. Wilkins 

The cultivation of tobacco was the leading industry in Vir- 
ginia, both because of the ease with which it was handled and 
the large profits derived from the commodity. This prevented 
the diversifying of industry, and was a drawback to the develop- 
ment and civilization of the state. The people raised only 
enough of food stuffs to meet their own needs. From time to 
time the attempt was made to prevent over-production of tobacco 
by limiting the production for certain periods, but the expedient 
was not successful and created trouble. Tobacco was made the 
legal currency. Taxes, fines, stipends, etc., were based upon so 
many pounds of tobacco. 

This American novelist (1862-), perhaps better known as 
Mary E. Freeman, was born in Randolph, Mass. She was of 
Puritan descent. She received her education at Mount Holyoke 
Seminary, South Hadley, Mass. For a number of years she was 
secretary to Dr. O. W. Holmes. She occasionally contributed to 
magazines. In 1902 she married Dr. Charles M. Freeman. She 
has written extensively, her stories dealing in the main with New 
England life. 

This story deals with the conditions in Virginia during this 
period from 1665 to 1685, and gives an interesting description of 
the tobacco industry, and its relation to the economic problems 
of the time. 

Massachusetts 

During the time of Elizabeth a religious body arose in Eng- 
land known as Puritans, who felt that the Reformation did not 
sufficiently reform. From the Puritans again arose the sect called 
"Separatists," who refused to remain in the Church. It will be 
recalled that during the reign of James I many Puritan ministers 
were driven from their pulpits, prohibited from holding religious 
services of any kind, and their congregations were scattered. To 
escape this intolerance a considerable number crossed over to 
Holland. These people were often called Pilgrims. 



THE MODERN ERA 485 

About two hundred of these industrious people, of unques- 
tioned piety, under the leadership of Rev. John Robinson, decided 
to establish a settlement in America. They secured financial aid 
from friends, the London Company granted them a patent for 
lands within its charter, and in 1620 they set sail in the Mayflower 
for America. On this vessel they drew up a "Compact" agreeing 
to organize as a "civil body politic" for their government, and 
John Carver was elected as governor. 

They landed at Plymouth Harbor, near a great bowlder now 
called Plymouth Rock, December 21, 1620. The colony was free 
from internal strife ; "it showed that Englishmen could prosper 
in the cold climate of the northeastern coast ; it established in the 
New World the great principle of a Church free from govern- 
mental interference, and founded on the will of the members. 
Above all, the Pilgrim Fathers handed down to later generations 
priceless traditions of strength, manliness, patience, uprightness 
and confidence in God." Thus the principle and policy of these 
early settlers became the cradle of American liberty. The prayer 
book and the episcopal authority of the Church of England were 
abandoned, and they established independent churches, which they 
called "Congregational." 

The reader is referred to : 

"The Emigration of the Pilgrim Fathers," by Edward Everett. 

"The Landing of the Mayflower" by Edward Everett. 

The Stories 
Soldier Rigdale. 1899. Beulah M. Dix 

In this story are described the landing and establishment of 
this Plymouth Colony, and the hardships endured in the first 
months of their new settlement. It was a very cold winter and 
about one-half of their number died from the cold, poor food 
and other causes. Others came and the little colony began to 
succeed. The story introduces Miles Standish, who was the 
military chieftain of the colony and secured for it splendid de- 
fence. Carver, their first governor, is also introduced. 

Saxby. 1884. Emma Leslie 

The approach to the leading interest in this story is by way of 
setting forth the intolerant attitude to the religious scruples of 



486 HISTORICAL FICTION 

the Puritans in England, and the decision to come to America, 
where they could establish their own religious institutions, and 
exercise their own religious convictions. The trip of the May- 
flower and settlement of New Boston are set forth. Henry Vane, 
whose father was a Privy Counsellor, arrived in Massachusetts 
in 1635. He was a zealous Puritan and a young man of attractive 
qualities. In the following year he was chosen Governor of the 
Colony. 

In 1634 there came to the Colony a Mrs. Ann Hutchinson, who 
supported the Antinomian religious view, which was regarded 
by the religious leaders as not only heretical but subversive of 
good morals and the civil order. She was a woman of keen mind 
and criticised the preachers and those who adhered to their doc- 
trines in declaring that we were now under a covenant of grace 
and not under a covenant of law ; that the evidence of salvation 
lies in an inward revelation to the soul and not in sanctification 
as expressed in good works ; that the resurrection is spiritual and 
takes place at the time of regeneration, and that the personality 
of the Holy Spirit is directly identified with the soul of the 
believer. 

She was a thoroughly pure-minded, pious woman, and Vane 
strongly sympathized with her view, as did others who stood high 
in the Church. An ecclesiastical council was held, which decided 
against these views, and Mrs. Hutchinson was excommunicated. 
In these theological troubles Vane's leadership was seriously in- 
volved ; otherwise they might have been solved in a more peaceful 
manner. Shortly after the decisions of the council he returned to 
England. 

Henry Vane and Mrs. Hutchinson, relative to these religious 
interests, figure in this story. 

With Musqueteer and Redskin. 1904. W. M. Graydon 

The Indians contested the rights of the white man to invade 
their hunting grounds. A large and warlike tribe, the Pequots, 
greatly disturbed the peace of the settlers. In 1637 a conflict with 
this tribe occurred, in which John Mason, at the head of a force 
of 500 men, stormed them in their fort and practically wiped them 
out. 

This story describes the hostilities that broke out between the 



THE MODERN ERA 487 

Massachusetts Colony and the Indians at this time, when Miles 
Standish was in charge of the militia and Vane was governor. 
Mrs. Hutchinson also appears in this story, for which see the pre- 
ceding. She migrated to the Dutch territory, and she and her 
family were massacred by the Indians. John Winthrop also 
figures. He was the leading statesman of the Colony, "he gave 
form to the commonwealth, regulated legislation and stood as 
long as he could for aristocratic government, but in the end yielded 
graciously to the democracy." He succeeded Vane as Governor, 
to which office he was elected thirteen times. He took a leading 
part in the formation of the New England Confederation, and was 
its first president. 

In 1636 another colony was founded bordering on the charter 
limits of Massachusetts, the leading spirit of which was Roger 
Williams, who was minister at Plymouth and Salem. He estab- 
lished the principle that "the civil government has nothing to do 
with religious acts, and that every one should have liberty to wor- 
ship God in the light of his own conscience." He is introduced 
into this story. 

The Making of Christopher Ferringham. 1901. 
Beulah M. Dix 

The Quakers, who arose under George Fox in England, in 
1648, began to appear in the colonies. Their doctrines were de- 
clared to be heretical and several colonies passed laws prohibiting 
the circulation of their books, and the banishment of the Quakers 
from the colonies. This treatment of sincere and thoroughly pious 
people clearly indicates that the Puritans, notwithstanding their 
good and lofty principles, were not free from tyranny and perse- 
cution in the case of those who differed from them in their relig- 
ious views. 

This attitude to the Quakers is dealt with by this story, as also 
the general order of Puritanical life in Massachusetts. The leg- 
islation against crime, misconduct and the refusal to attend relig- 
ious services, etc., give us a good view of the social and religious 
conditions of the time. 

Anne Scarlett. 1901. Mary Imlay Taylor 

At this time the theory was current throughout the world that 
human beings could "make a personal compact with the devil, 



488 HISTORICAL FICTION 

which would enable them to change their shape, to travel on the 
wings of the wind, and especially to bring bodily harm to their 
enemies," in other words to become witches. This delusion found 
its way into Salem, Mass., and a perfect frenzy broke out in the 
town. Cotton Mather, a distinguished minister and scholar, be- 
came greatly interested in the matter, and in 1689 published a 
work entitled, "Memorable Providences Relating to Witchcraft 
and Possessions." This work played an important part in the con- 
demnation and execution of witches. In many instances the most 
ridiculous sort of evidence was offered against the people who 
were charged with being "possessed," and in the excitement that 
prevailed, before the good sense of the people got control, scores 
of innocent people were put in jail, and nineteen were hanged, 
and one who refused to plead guilty or not guilty was pressed to 
death by heavy weights. Many people became so crazed that they 
declared themselves to be witches, and told of flying through the 
air and other exploits. The executions were stopped when the 
wife of Governor Phips fell under suspicion. 

This witchcraft frenzy, the handling of the delusion, the influ- 
ence of Cotton Mather's preaching and publication in dealing with 
witches, are depicted by this story. When the craze ended the 
people of Salem were conscience-stricken because of the excesses 
to which it had led them. The execution and imprisonment of 
these many people will always leave a stain on the history of this 
time. 

Other stories : 

The Black Shilling (1904), by Amelia E. Barr, which sets 
forth the denunciations of Mather, and the bringing of those 
alleged to be witches to trial. 

A Maid of Salem Towne (1906), by Mrs. Lucy Madison, giv- 
ing exciting instances of this frenzy. 

The Coast of Freedom (1903), by Adele Marie Shaw, in which 
the governor of Massachusetts, William Phips, whose wife fell 
under the suspicion of witchcraft, figures largely. The operations 
against witchcraft are set forth. 

Romance of the Charter Oak. William Seton 

Sir Edmund Andros was appointed by James II as viceroy of 
New England, New York and New Jersey. His rule was tyran- 



THE MODERN ERA 489 

nical and arrogant and so exasperated the people that some men 
in Boston in 1689 revolted and put him in prison. At that point 
William and Mary succeeded to the throne and Andros was sum- 
moned to England to answer to the complaints made against him. 
Prior to this time, in 1662, Charles II had granted Connecti- 
cut a charter which extended to the colonists the right to govern 
themselves under their own constitution. When James II came 
to the throne he decided to deprive them of this charter, which 
he considered too liberal. Andros, the viceroy, was ordered by 
James to demand that this charter be surrendered. With a body 
of troops to support this demand he went to Hartford (1687) 
for the document. But the people of Hartford had hidden it in 
the hollow trunk of an oak tree, and Andros was unable to 
secure it. 

These facts will explain the title of this story which deals 
with the period of the harsh rule of Andros as noted above. 

New Netherland 

The Hudson River was discovered by Henry Hudson, an Eng- 
lishman, in 1609, and in 1614 the United New Netherland Com- 
pany built the trading post of New Amsterdam on the site of the 
present city of New York. The Dutch West India Company was 
given the monopoly of Dutch trade in America, and little trading 
posts were established. In 1625 the Island of Manhattan was 
purchased from the Indians by Peter Minuit for about $26. A 
single square foot of soil on Manhattan is, in some places, now 
worth about twenty-five times as much as Minuit paid for the 
entire island. In 1638 a Swedish royal colony settled on the lower 
Delaware, but in 1655 it was seized by the Dutch Governor, Stuy- 
vesant. He was a brave and honest soldier, but was irritable and 
tyrannical and always had a quarrel on with the people, but the 
colony grew, and under him the fur trade greatly increased. 

In 1664 four English war vessels suddenly appeared off the 
Battery, demanding in the name of Charles II the surrender of 
New Netherland on the ground that it was English territory. 
Stuyvesant was powerless to resist, and Dutch rule in this section 
at once ended, and the entire Atlantic coast from the St. Lawrence 
River to the Spanish possessions in Florida was in the hands of 
England. Under English rule the colonies greatly increased. 
Charles gave to his brother, the Duke of York, New Netherland, 



490 HISTORICAL FICTION 

and the name was changed to New York, and Fort Orange was 
called Albany, that being another of the Duke's titles. 

The Stories 
In Castle and Colony. 1899. Emma Rayner 

In 1638 the Swedish colony was settled within the limits of 
the present state of Delaware. They built a fort, which they 
named Christiana. The Swedish Governor, Printz, built a fort a 
few miles below the site of Philadelphia. In 1655 tne Swedes 
attacked the Dutch fort near Christiana. Stuyvesant sent an 
expedition to the Delaware River, the Swedish forts were cap- 
tured and Dutch rule over this territory was acknowledged. 

This story deals with this conflict between these two colonies 
on the Delaware, and delineates the characteristics of the two 
governors. The fighting between the two factions is described, 
culminating in the defeat and loss of the Swedish colony. 

The Maid of Old New York. Amelia E. Barr 

The rule of Stuyvesant, as sketched above, is given in this 
story, as also the delineation of his qualities. When the English 
called upon him to surrender the territory, he had in his garrison 
about 250 untrained men. The Governor, in his characteristic 
manner, fumed at a great rate and declared, "I would rather be 
carried to my grave than yield," but regardless of his protests 
his men hoisted the white flag. Stuyvesant wore a wooden leg, 
having lost his leg in war, and the wooden one was bound about 
with rings of silver, which won for him the sobriquet of "Old 
Silverleg." 

The Begum's Daughter. 1890. Edwin L. Bynner 

When James II was dethroned by the acceptance of the Eng- 
lish throne by William of Orange, the government of New York 
was in the hands of Francis Nicholson and the Council. At this 
time there was a rumor of a French invasion and of a rising of 
the papists to aid the French. Jacob Leisler, a German, was an 
earnest Protestant, and was captain of one of the train-bands. 
Believing that it was the design of Nicholson to support the cause 
of James, Leisler took possession of the fort, and took upon him- 



THE MODERN ERA 491 

self the command of the town. He called an Assembly, which 
declared him Governor of the Fort until orders should come from 
William. He used the letters that came to Nicholson containing 
orders, and thus claimed to be Lieutenant-Governor by royal 
commission as a measure by which to sustain his rule. The people 
at Albany at first refused to acknowledge him, but when the 
French inroads began and the slaughter at Schenectady occurred 
they joined forces and acknowledged him as Governor, and he 
rendered good service against the French. 

Henry Sloughton, a man of no character, made Governor by 
William, did not come to America for some time after receiving 
his commission. In the meantime Major Ingolsby landed with 
grenadiers, and Leisler refused to give over to him the Fort until 
the Governor should arrive. Trouble arose and several were 
killed, and that moment Sloughton appeared. Leisler and his 
leaders were arrested, tried and convicted of treason and put to 
death, the death-warrant for Leisler being signed by Sloughton 
while drunk and urged by the enemies of the former. Parliament 
investigated the matter and declared that Leisler's execution was 
an act of murder, "an act of political vengeance." 

The author in this story has given an excellent account of 
these events, the incident being known as Leisler's Rebellion. 

Carolina and Georgia 

The growth of the Carolinas was attended by bloody wars 
with the Tuscarora and Yemassee Indians from 1712 to 1716. 
At the close of the Tuscarora War the Yemassees began hostili- 
ties against the southern colony. They instituted their operations 
in April, 1715, by killing ninety persons at Pocotaligo and the 
nearby plantations. The people of Port Royal managed to escape 
to Charleston. It was soon discovered by the colonists that all 
the southern tribes were united against them. They believed, 
however, that they could depend upon the support of the western 
tribes. In this they were mistaken, as these tribes either took the 
attitude of enmity or neutrality. 

Governor Craven had at his disposal the small number of 
1,200 men who were fit to bear arms, and with this he had to meet 
a force of 7,000 armed Indians. Cautiously advancing into their 
country he demonstrated the superiority of the white man over the 
Indian. He drove these tribes into Florida, and the lands vacated 



492 HISTORICAL FICTION 

by them the colony offered to purchasers. They were soon taken 
up by about 500 Irishmen. 

The first settlement in South Carolina was made about 1670, 
when colonists were sent out by proprietors. In 1680 they moved 
to Charleston. Rice was used as money. Then came the troubles 
with Spain and the Indians. In 1729 it became a Royal Colony. 

The Stories 

The Yemassee. 1835. William Gilmore Simms 

The author (1806-1870), novelist, historian and poet, was born 
and died at Charleston, S. C. His novels deal largely with South- 
ern life in the Colonial and Revolutionary periods. His frontier 
romances include The Yemassee, Carl Werner, Pelayo, The Scout, 
etc. He is also known through his historical works, "A History 
of South Carolina" and "South Carolina in the Revolution." 

This historical tale is founded on the author's personal knowl- 
edge of the American Indian character. It has been said of him 
that "he has done for the historical traditions of the Carolinas 
what Cooper did for those of the North and West." This story 
gives the history of this great Indian invasion of South Carolina, 
setting forth the activities of the Yemassee and other tribes. It 
describes the military operations of Governor Craven in driving 
them out of the state, and at the same time exhibits the strength 
and characteristics of the Yemassee. Governor Craven is the 
hero, who is presented as Gabriel Harrison. One of the best of 
the "horror scenes," which is the best scene in the book, is that in 
which Matiwan kills her son to save him from disgrace, so that 
his soul will not be lost. The author resembles Cooper in that 
he is a master of story-telling. 

Doris Kingsley, Child and Colonist. 1901. 
Emma Rayner 

Between the St. John's and the Savannah Rivers there lay a 
wide unoccupied strip of country which King George named 
after himself and called Georgia. General James Oglethorpe was 
a man of kind and generous impulses who was opposed to the 
system of imprisonment for debt. He persuaded the king to give 
him permission to plant a colony of debtors in Georgia. This 



THE MODERN ERA 493 

would enable many unforunate families to provide for themselves 
a home and a living, and at the same time such a colony would 
serve as a buffer against the Spanish in Florida. 

The land west of the Savannah River was thus granted to 
Oglethorpe in 1732, and in -1733 he landed with thirty-five families 
and founded Savannah. The king had stipulated that there should 
be "neither liquor nor slavery trade in Georgia, that no one should 
own over 500 acres of land, that for twenty-one years the settlers 
should have no voice in making the laws." Many of Oglethorpe's 
people were idle and worthless, but with the coming of the High- 
land Scotch and some Germans, the colony took on new life and 
development. 

There was considerable dissatisfaction in the colony. The 
people wanted larger farms and negro slaves to do the work. 
They wanted to engage in the liquor business, which brought large 
profits. Oglethorpe returned to England much disappointed. In 
1750 slavery and the liquor traffic were permitted, the settlers 
were allowed to frame their own laws, and Georgia became a 
Royal Province. 

In this story the circumstances regarding the founding of this 
colony, i. e., as a refuge for unfortunate people, are set forth. 
The titular heroine is the daughter of one of the families that be- 
longed to the debtor class. The strange manner in which the 
governor of South Carolina lands upon the colony a large "cargo" 
of English people is an important interest in the story. In 1739 
war broke out between England and Spain. Oglethorpe, with 
a force of 800 men, laid siege to St. Augustine, a Spanish strong- 
hold, but was obliged to retire. When the Spanish attacked the 
English settlement they were driven back. This was two years 
later. This historical incident figures in the story. 



CHAPTER III 

THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 

The question of boundary lines between French and English 
colonies in North America involved those two countries in three 
wars: 

i. King William's War, 1689- 1697. 

2. Queen Anne's War, 1702-1713. In this war the English 
won Nova Scotia. 

3. King George's War, 1744- 1748. The capture by New Eng- 
land militia of Louisburg on the island of Cape Breton. 

The military career of George Washington began at the age 
of nineteen, at which time he was made Adjutant General of a 
military district of his native state of Virginia. His operations 
against the French and Indians gave him peculiar opportunities 
for his future work and very valuable experience. At this early 
day he was distinguished for those qualities that were to be so 
fully exemplified in coming contests and triumphs. 

The Stories 
A Soldier of Virginia. 1901. Burton E. Stevenson 

The French had broken up an English trading post on the 
Miami and proceeded to build a line of forts. George Washing- 
ton, then 21 years of age, was sent to the French to deliver a 
message from the Governor of Virginia, which demanded their 
withdrawal from that section. The French refused to do so, and 
then built Fort Duquesne (Pittsburg). In our English studies of 
this period in this volume this instance has been fully treated — 
the manner in which the British under General Braddock, know- 
ing nothing of Indian warfare, were defeated by the French and 
Indians. Washington, who understood them and their tactics, 
undertook to make a suggestion to Braddock, which was curtly 
resented, and the result was a disastrous defeat. 

This engagement at Fort Duquesne is the setting of this story, 

494 



THE MODERN ERA 495 

in which Washington and Braddock figure. The battle and the 
defeat are well described. Four bullets had passed through Wash- 
ington's clothes, and two horses were shot under him. He was 
the hero of the day, and saved the British from being annihilated. 

The Quiberon Touch. 1901. Cyrus T. Brady 

This American clergyman and author (1861-) was born at 
Alleghany, Pa. He was graduated from the United States Naval 
Academy. Ordained by the Protestant Episcopal Church, he was 
rector of churches in Colorado and Missouri. He was appointed 
Archdeacon of Kansas and later of Pennsylvania. He served 
churches in Philadelphia and other cities. At the time of the 
Spanish-American War he was chaplain of the First Pennsyl- 
vania Volunteers. He is best known by his historical novels. 

In 1759, during the Seven Years' War, was fought the battle 
of Quiberon between the English and French. Sir Edward 
Hawke had been blockading the French fleet under De Conflans at 
Brest. While Hawke stood off for a time the French admiral 
saw an opportunity of seizing a few English frigates before 
Hawke could come to their assistance. In this he failed. Hawke 
arrived and the French were driven back from the point of 
Quiberon to the rocky coast of the Vilaine. It was a dangerous 
position in which to attack the French on account of shoals and 
quicksands, but Hawke, contrary to the protests of the pilot deter- 
mined to do so. The result was a great victory. The English 
lost but forty men ; two vessels were stranded, but the men were 
all saved. The French lost six ships. For a time this defeat 
crushed the French naval power and prevented invasion from that 
source. 

This was, from the historical point of view, The Quiberon 
Touch. This story has depicted this great decisive engagement 
near Quiberon Bay. 

With Wolfe in Canada. 1886. George A. Henty 

Following Braddock's defeat at Fort Duquesne in 1755, the 
English captured the fort three years later and named it Fort Pitt. 
In 1759 Niagara, which guarded the Great Lakes, capitulated, 
and an English garrison was placed there. At Ticonderoga, 
Montcalm defeated Abercrombie in 1758, at which time Lord 



40 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Howe was killed, one of the greatest defeats the English sus- 
tained. The fort was shortly afterwards taken by the English. 
The crowning victory of this campaign was achieved by Gen- 
eral Wolfe. With a force of 8,000 men, and a fleet of forty- 
four vessels he pitched camp within four miles of Quebec. The 
plan was to ascend the St. Lawrence and seize the Plains of 
Abraham in the rear of the city. When night came the English 
silently clambered up the almost perpendicular precipice, and at 
the breaking of the dawn Wolfe's army was ready. The French 
moved forward. The British reserved their fire until their foe 
was within forty yards of them and then poured in volley after 
volley. The French were thrown into confusion. While leading 
the charge and at the moment of victory a ball pierced the breast 
of Wolfe, after already being twice shot. As he sank to the earth 
he heard some one say, "They run, they run!" "Who run?" he 
asked. "The French are flying everywhere," was the reply. "Do 
they run already? Then I die happy," said the brave hero, and 
sinking down died in the arms of an officer. At the same time, 
Montcalm, the French leader, trying to rally his broken forces, 
was mortally wounded. "Shall I survive ?" he asked the surgeon. 
"But a few hours at most," he was told. "So much the better," 
he said; "I shall not live to witness the surrender of Quebec." 
Canada now passed under the dominion of England. 

This series of military operations is set forth in Henty's story, 
beginning with the defeat at Duquesne, as already given. Then 
are given the siege and capture of Fort William Henry by the 
French. There were but 500 English in the fort. After a six 
days siege, with their ammunition almost exhausted and half 
of their cannon burst, they were compelled to surrender. They 
were promised a safe escort to Fort Edward. But the Indians 
had secured liquor at the fortress, and made furious by drink 
and against all the exertions of Montcalm, they fell upon the 
prisoners and massacred a great number. The capture of the fort 
and this barbarous work figure in this story. The fall of Quebec 
is especially described. It secured America to Great Britain, 
placed Wolfe among the immortals, and was a turning-point in 
modern history. 

Other stories : 

Marching on Niagara (1902), by Edward Stratemeyer, giving 



THE MODERN ERA 497 

an account of the action in which Niagara fell and was garrisoned 
by the English. 

With Roger's Rangers (1906), by G. W. Browne, describing 
the exploits of wood rangers in this conflict culminating in the 
fall of Quebec. 

The Heroine of the Strait. 1902. Mary C. Crowley 

The history of the crumbling of French colonial power may 
be traced by studying the events of the period from 1689 to 1763. 
She had taken Nova Scotia, Cape Breton and Canada. She set- 
tled Louisiana and had settlements on the Mississippi. From 1754 
to 1757 she was well established in the Ohio Valley. Reverses 
began in 1758, when one stronghold after another was seized, 
and when, in 1759, Quebec fell to the British the French hold on 
Canada was broken. "In 1763 they were compelled to give up 
every square foot of their splendid empire on the mainland, and 
retained only the two little islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, 
south of Newfoundland, and their possessions in the West Indies, 
including part of Haiti. Thenceforward the Anglo-Saxons con- 
trolled the destinies of North America." 

Looking back over our early history we can fully appreciate 
what it has meant to America that it was Great Britain that had 
control of her interests and shaped her course in her development, 
ideals and institutions. She was nurtured during these years 
under the best and most democratic government in the world. 
The influence of British colonization, British rule and insti- 
tutions must ever be taken into account in forming any intelli- 
gent judgment of the high order of our evolution and civiliza- 
tion. 

With the fall of Quebec and Montreal and the passing of 
Canada under British control the Indians realized that a new order 
of things would be instituted if England should gain supremacy 
in America. The French would not have greatly disturbed the life 
of the Indian. His hunting opportunities would not have been 
greatly impaired. But not so under the dominion of Britain. The 
country would be cleared, the timber cut down, farming estab- 
lished, cities built, in a word, the face of the whole country 
changed by British industrial aggressiveness. 

France had assured the Indians that she would return and 



498 HISTORICAL FICTION 

take the country from the British, and thus encouraged, to save 
themselves and their interests the Indians formed a confedera- 
tion to strike a decisive blow before the British could become 
better established and organized. At the head of this confedera- 
tion was Pontiac, a warrior of the Ottawas, one of the ablest and 
most patriotic men of his race. 

The plan of Pontiac's conspiracy was that each tribe should 
attack and destroy the nearest post. This concerted action was 
carried out in May, 1763, when ten posts were carried by the 
Indians, extending from Bedford in Pennsylvania to Michili- 
mackinac and the garrisons were massacred. Detroit and Fort 
Pitt received a warning and were able to save themselves. Sup- 
plies were brought to Detroit by water, and thus defeated the 
designs of the Indians. Pontiac was at the head of the force that 
threatened this fort. Colonel Bouquet was sent to the support 
of Fort Pitt. He knew all about Indian warfare, and while the 
battle in which he was now engaged was a severe one he finally 
drove the Indians back in great disorder. With Fort Pitt secured, 
he marched with a larger army into the Indian country, South- 
eastern Ohio, and made treaties with the Indians. When Pontiac 
became satisfied that the French could offer him no assistance he 
surrendered at Oswego in 1766, and this put an end to Pontiac's 
conspiracy. 

This historical novel gives a detailed account of the conflicts 
in which the French were defeated, and relates the facts of this 
Indian confederation and uprising under the direction and organi- 
zation of Pontiac. It explains the plan of the conspiracy and the 
manner in which his designs became known, which fact resulted 
in the complete defeat of the Indians. 

Other stories : 

A Sword of the Old Frontier (1905), by Randall Parrish, giv- 
ing the exploits of Coubert and the account of Pontiac's confed- 
eration against the English. 

The Fort in the Wilderness (1905), by Edward Stratemeyer, 
a striking presentation of the operations about the forts, and the 
crushing of the conspiracy. 

Wacousta (1882), by Major John Richardson, giving the suc- 
cesses of the Indians in falling upon the garrisons taken unawares, 



THE MODERN ERA 499 

and their method of dispatching them, and the operations about 
Detroit. 

"The Indians of the Northwest" ("Winning of the West"), 
by Theodore Roosevelt, may be read to great advantage in con- 
nection with the foregoing. 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 

CHAPTER I 
THE WAR IN NEW ENGLAND AND CANADA 

The American Revolution gave to the world another great, 
free, independent nation that was to exemplify in a peculiar degree 
the modern spirit. From every consideration, the independence 
of America, under whatever conditions it might be effected, was 
inevitable. The great mission of America could never have been 
accomplished as a colony of another State, or under the direction 
of another government, no matter how excellent and democratic 
that government might be. Only as a free, independent State in 
control of its own powers, policies and institutions, without the 
slightest restriction laid upon her by subordination to another 
people, would it be possible for America to assume her true and 
rightful position in the world and to contribute to the fullest 
degree to the development and civilization of the race. And 
moreover, no one is more intelligently appreciative of this fact 
today than is Great Britain. 

Two things were involved in the American Revolution. "Its 
immediate aim was independence, its ultimate aim or end liberty ; 
hence it became a war for independence in order to secure liberty. 
Nevertheless, the contest began for liberty, since this was attacked, 
and ended in independence, since this was inevitable. But inde- 
pendence brought a larger liberty. It first gave the opportunity 
of trying, on a grand scale, without interference and under the 
most favorable conditions, the experiment of universal human 
liberty, of allowing to all men the free and full exercise of their 
natural rights." 

The Stamp Act 

The territory ceded to Great Britain by the Treaty of Paris 
(1763) consisted of the Province of Quebec, East Florida, West 
Florida and the Indian Country. For defensive purposes provi- 

500 



THE MODERN ERA 501 

sion must be made for the expense involved in maintaining 10,000 
troops. The policy proposed was that this should be paid for 
partly by the Crown and partly by the colonies. "The share to 
be paid by the latter was to be raised ( 1 ) by enforcing old trade 
and navigation acts; (2) by taxes on sugar and molasses; (3) by 
stamp act, 1765." The question at issue was not, "Shall America 
support an army?" but "Shall Parliament tax America?" 

Against this proposition of taxation the colonists protested by 
Writs of Assistance, the Virginia Resolutions, Declaration of 
Rights and Grievances, Non-Importation Agreements. While 
the Stamp Act was repealed it was insisted that a tax be laid upon 
tea, paper, glass, lead, and painter's colors. 

The Stories 

The Charming Sally. 1898. James O. Kaler 

The Stamp Act required that all documents, commercial in- 
struments and newspapers be written or printed on paper stamped 
by the British government. This act was passed in 1765, The 
colonies had no representation in Parliament, and this Act led to 
opposition and riots in America, and a protest to Parliament deny- 
ing the right of taxation. 

In this story are described the effects of the Stamp Act upon 
the colonists when the Act was passed and great quantities of 
stamped paper arrived from England. The Sons of Liberty 
was organized, who pledged themselves to oppose this form of 
tyranny to the end, and to maintain the rights of the colonies. 
During these agitations business was practically suspended and 
inactivity in social life prevailed. 

The Strawberry Handkerchief . 1908. Amelia E. Barr 

This story has its setting in these days of denunciation of the 
Stamp Act, and the bitterness and armed opposition it created. 

The War in New England 

America had in the British Parliament the support of some of 
the most eminent statesmen. Lord Camden, in the House of 
Lords, sustained the rights of the colonies. Before the House 



502 HISTORICAL FICTION 

of Commons, Pitt declared, "You have no right to tax America. 
I rejoice that America has resisted." But while the other taxes 
of the Townshend Acts were repealed, the tax on tea was enforced 
so as to maintain the principle of taxation. A regiment of troops 
was brought from Halifax and quartered in Boston. The people 
of Massachusetts were declared to be rebels, and the governor was 
ordered to arrest any he considered to be guilty of treason and 
send them to England for trial. These and other things brought 
the revolutionary feeling to the breaking point. 

The Stories 

Daughters of the Revolution and Their Times. 1895. 
Charles C. Coffin 

In this story the increasing bitterness and opposition to the 
measures of the British Parliament are described. In 1770, after 
the troops were quartered in Boston to frighten the people, a 
soldier cut down a liberty pole in the park. A little later a party 
of citizens got into a row with Preston's company and dared them 
to fire. They discharged a volley, killing three persons and 
wounding others. This is known as the Boston Massacre. Thou- 
sands of men assembled under arms. Samuel Adams spoke for 
the people. The troops under demand were withdrawn from the 
city, Preston and his company were tried for murder and two were 
convicted. This event figures in this story. 

In 1773 three tea-ships anchored in the Boston harbor. Fifty 
men disguised as Indians boarded the vessels and poured the con- 
tents of 340 chests of tea into the sea. This is called the Boston 
Tea Party. The authorities had declared that the tea could not 
be landed, and while the dispute was proceeding it was thus settled 
in a very peremptory manner. There was no longer any hope of 
a peaceable adjustment between England and the colonies, and 
when General Gage sent his expedition to destroy stores of ammu- 
nition and seize Hancock and Adams, supposed to be hidden at 
Lexington or Concord, the war was on. 

At Lexington the patriots stood ready with loaded guns. Pit- 
cairn demanded that they throw down their arms, and refusing to 
do so he ordered his men to fire. This was the first volley of the 
Revolutionary War. Nearly a fourth of the patriots fell and the 
British passed on to Concord, where they met with a heavy loss. 



THE MODERN ERA 503 

These two actions fired the country and military organization was 
pushed forward. 

These beginnings of the war are set forth in this story. 

The Green Mountain Boys. 1840. Daniel P. 
Thompson 

The author was born at Charleston, Mass. He was a lawyer 
and politician. He was a graduate of Middlebury College, Mid- 
dlebury, Vt. By legislative appointment he compiled "The Laws 
of Vermont." This story won for him great popularity. 

The fortress of Ticonderoga had cost the British eight million 
pounds sterling. It contained a vast magazine of stores, and it 
was of the first importance that this stronghold be captured. In 
fact the legislature of Connecticut had voted a thousand dollars 
to induce an expedition against the fort. 

In 1764 the king decided in favor of the claims of New York 
to jurisdiction over the Green Mountain territory against the 
settlers of Vermont. Ethan Allen was appointed to present the 
cause of the settlers at Albany. The case went against him. He 
organized "The Green Mountain Boys," a company of undisci- 
plined provincials, and expelled the New York settlers. A reward 
of $750 was offered by the Governor of New York for Allen. 
Following the battle of Lexington, both Allen and Benedict Arnold 
were anxious to capture Fort Ticonderoga. Allen and his men 
got there first. 

On May 10, 1775, when but part of his men had crossed the 
lake, Allen rushed into the fort. The following is the scene as 
given by the story : "Captain La Place, who had just leaped from 
his bed, on hearing the tumult below, soon made his appearance 
with his clothes in his hand, but suddenly recoiling a step, he 
stood gazing in mute amazement at the stern and threatening air, 
and the powerful and commanding figure of the man before him. 

" T come, sir, to demand the immediate surrender of this for- 
tress!' sternly said Allen, to the astonished commander. 

"'By what authority do you make this bold demand of his 
Majesty's fort, sir?' said the other, almost distrusting his senses. 

"'By what authority?' thundered Allen, T demand it, sir, in 
the name of the Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress !' 



504 HISTORICAL FICTION 

" The Continental Congress ?' stammered the hesitating officer, 
'I know of no right — I don't acknowledge it, sir — ' 

" 'But you soon will acknowledge it, sir !' fiercely interrupted 
the impatient leader. 'And hesitate to obey me one instant longer, 
and by the eternal heavens ! I will sacrifice every man in your fort ! 
—beginning the work, sir,' he added, whirling his sword furiously 
over the head of the other, and bringing the murderous blade at 
every glittering circle it made in the air nearer and nearer the 
head of its threatened victim, 'beginning the work, sir, by sending 
your own head dancing across this floor !' 

" T yield, I yield !' cried the shrinking commandant. 

"'Down! down, then, instantly!' exclaimed Allen, "and com- 
municate the surrender to your men while any of them are left 
alive to hear it/ " 

The fort that cost Britain forty million dollars was captured in 
ten minutes without the firing of a shot. 

The story also sets forth the controversy between New York 
and Vermont and the part taken in it by Ethan Allen. The scene 
of the besieging of the cave and the blowing up of the same is 
well described. 

The Colonials. 1902. Allen French 

Learning that the British with a force of 10,000 men under 
Gage, Howe, Clinton and Burgoyne intended to seize Bunker Hill, 
overlooking Charleston, the Americans fortified the height adjoin- 
ing it. Upon this the British opened fire from their ships, and 
then charged the works of the Americans, who, after their ammu- 
nition was exhausted, were compelled to withdraw. 

The story gives a good description of this action. General 
Joseph Warren appears. He was slain in the battle. The British 
lost 1,000 men against 450 Americans, killed and wounded. To 
capture a few more hills with such a loss would soon cost Gage his 
whole army. The Americans were encouraged rather than dis- 
couraged by this defeat. 

Lionel Lincoln. 1825. J. Fenimore Cooper 

In this story the facts relating to the battle of Bunker Hill are 
carefully presented. The historical order of events, from the 
inception of the war, is well traced. 



THE MODERN ERA 505 

My Lady Laughter. 1905. Dwight Tilton 

When the people of Boston discovered the plans of General 
Gage, at the beginning of the war, they hid their ammunition in 
wagons containing rubbish and took it to Concord. On the night 
of April 18, 1775, Warren sent Paul Revere to ride with all speed 
through the country to Lexington and give the warning of the 
British expedition. His ride from Boston to Concord is the sub- 
ject of Longfellow's poem, The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. 

This famous patriot figures in this story, which gives the siege 
of Boston, and also introduces Washington, John Hancock and 
Samuel Adams. It will be remembered that the latter presented 
the case of the people after the Boston Massacre. This American 
statesman was one of the ablest laborers for American freedom, 
and was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. 

Other stories : 

With Warren at Bunker Hill, by J. O. Kaler, in which great 
leaders on both sides appear. 

Dan Monroe (1905), by W. O. Stoddard, which sets forth the 
early actions of the war. 

The War in Canada 

On the day that Ticonderoga was captured by Ethan Allen, the 
Colonial Congress met at Philadelphia and appointed George 
Washington as Commander-in-Chief of the army. So greatly 
did he feel the responsibility of the position that when his name 
was mentioned he left the hall for a time. His education con- 
sisted of the common branches. His dignity of manner, sound- 
ness of judgment and excellence of character distinguished him 
above most men. He was a member of the Continental Congress 
which appointed him to his high position. The man who had 
saved the wreck of Braddock's army at Fort Duquesne was called 
to build a nation. In a most dignified manner which well befitted 
the occasion, he accepted the appointment but refused all com- 
pensation for his services above the actual expense incurred. Fif- 
teen days after the action at Bunker Hill he entered Cambridge 
with an escort. 

The colonies indulged the hope that Canada would sympathize 



506 HISTORICAL FICTION 

with the Revolution and join with them against Britain. To bring 
about such an attitude an expedition was organized and committed 
to Schuyler and Montgomery, which was to proceed to Montreal 
by Lake Champlain and the river Sorel. Montgomery captured 
St. John and then seized Montreal. Taking other towns which he 
garrisoned, his force was reduced to 300 men, and with this body 
he proceeded to Quebec. Here he found another force, from 
another direction, bent upon the same purpose. Benedict Arnold 
had set out with 1,000 men, who passed through a winter of 
awful suffering. Their supplies gave out and every dog that 
could be taken was eaten ; the roots of trees were used for food 
as well as their moccasins. As members of this starving band 
were Morgan, Green, Meigs, noted leaders of the Revolution, and 
Aaron Burr, who afterwards became Vice-President of the new 
nation. 

Taking a position on the Plains of Abraham, Arnold waited 
for the English to attack, but the latter remained within their 
fortress waiting for Arnold to make an assault. Withdrawing 
twenty miles he joined with Montgomery. With 900 men the 
latter besieged Quebec for three weeks. On the last day of the 
year, dividing his little force to make a double assault, Montgom- 
ery, at the head of his men, led an attack. A storm of grape shot 
came from the fort and the brave leader fell dead. From another 
point Arnold forced his way into the town and was seriously 
wounded and Morgan, now in command, was finally compelled to 
surrender. Fresh troops arrived from England, and the Ameri- 
cans were driven back from point to point until Canada was en- 
tirely evacuated. The death of Montgomery was a heavy loss, 
which was mourned even in England. He was one of the greatest 
souls of the Revolution. 



The Stories 
At the Siege of Quebec. James O. Kaler 

When Benedict Arnold started out with his expedition from 
Cambridge he passed up the Kennebec and then through the wil- 
derness. This story traces his movements to Quebec, setting 
forth the conditions by the way. It describes the plan of attack 
upon Quebec, and the death of Montgomery, as noted above. 



THE MODERN ERA 



507 



Philip Winwood. 1900. Robert N. Stephens 

This story covers the whole period of the war from the time 
of the events in Boston that precipitated hostilities. In this con- 
nection, however, our interest lies in that section that details the 
expedition of Montgomery, and that of Arnold, the attack upon 
Quebec and the failure of the little force altogether inadequate 
for such an enterprise. 



CHAPTER II 

THE WAR IN THE MIDDLE STATES 

The Declaration of Independence, that was destined to have 
a place in American history similar to that of the Magna Charta 
in English history, both having the same central significance in 
their essential doctrine of liberty, was the declaration of the Con- 
tinental Congress, endorsed and signed in full August 21, 1776. 
By this document the thirteen English colonies formally renounced 
their subjection to the rule of Great Britain, and declared them- 
selves a free and independent State. 

The committee appointed to consider the form of the declara- 
tion consisted of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin 
Franklin, Roger Sherman, Robert R. Livingston. It was in the 
main the work of Jefferson. It created the greatest enthusiasm 
throughout the colonies, and was most effective in contributing 
to the revolutionary sentiment and purpose. The original docu- 
ment is preserved in a steel case in the care of the State Depart- 
ment. The colonies thus united by such a declaration now entered 
upon another stage of the war. 

The Stories 

The Minute Boys of Long Island. 1908. 
James O. Kaler 

Under General Howe the British held Boston, which Washing- 
ton besieged for the entire winter. At the opening of spring he 
completely outgeneraled Howe by the construction of his fortifi- 
cations and compelled him to evacuate the city, and the British 
under an agreement were permitted to go aboard their fleet. 

The next move of the great commander was to defend New 
York. He reached the city just as the British were about to strike 
a blow in that quarter. Completely beaten at Fort Moultrie the 
British landed a strong force on Long Island. General Putnam 
had failed to guard the passes on the left of the American army. 

S08 



THE MODERN ERA 509 

Unperceived, the English surrounded Sullivan and then it was 
simply a question as to how much of the army could be saved. 
Washington came on the field at the close of the battle. A thou- 
sand of his men lay dead upon the field, and three of his generals 
were prisoners. He gathered together his shattered forces and 
decided to withdraw to New York. The heavy fog favored him, 
for under cover of the darkness, with muffled oars, all night long 
the soldiers were carried from Brooklyn to New York, one of the 
most masterly retreats on record. 

From the rejoicing and enthusiasm created by the Declaration 
of Independence this story conducts us to Washington's move 
on New York, which he reached just in time to baffle the plan oi 
Clinton, and then to the disastrous defeat of the American army 
in the battle of Long Island. 

The Red Patriot. 1897. William O. Stoddard 

The British took possession of New York while the Americans 
were entrenched above the city. A fire broke out that consumed 
about 500 buildings. Howe's plan was to cut Washington off 
from communication with the Eastern States, and in the midst 
of these manceuvers was fought the battle at White Plains. Night 
came on and while Howe waited for reinforcements Washing- 
ton withdrew to the heights of North Castle and finally reached 
Fort Lee. After defeating the Americans at Fort Washington 
Cornwallis marched against Fort Lee. Washington saw that to 
remain would be disaster and with his army of 3,000 men 
crossed to Newark with the British in rapid pursuit. Washington 
passed to Elizabethtown, New Brunswick and Trenton. He 
crossed the Delaware and saw to it that for 70 miles no boats 
could be secured by the British. 

The country was apprehensive and disheartened. The British 
thought the war was ended, and taking advantage of this attitude 
Washington determined to strike a decisive blow. By crossing 
the Delaware he could attack the force at Trenton before the 
English could join their units. Arranging his army in three 
divisions, on Christmas night, he crossed the Delaware amid the 
blocks of ice and made the attack as planned from two direc- 
tions. Taken by surprise the Hessians threw down their arms, 
and were taken as captives to the other side of the Delaware. 



510 HISTORICAL FICTION 

It was now a question whether Howe would be able to hold 
a town in New Jersey. Placed in a critical position, Washington 
determined to escape by night and strike the British at Princeton. 
The camp fires were kept burning to deceive the foe, and the 
Americans crept away from the Assampink Creek. The next morn- 
ing the battle of Princeton was fought in which the British were 
shattered and fled in disorder. 

This American author and journalist (1835-) was born at 
Homer, N. Y. He was educated at Rochester and graduated in 
1858. He spent three years farming and then took up newspaper 
work in Illinois. He edited the Chicago Daily Ledger and the 
Central Illinois Gazette. For three months at the outbreak of the 
Civil War he was in military service. From 1861 to 1864 he was 
private secretary to President Lincoln, and after that engaged in 
literary work. 

These great events of the war in New Jersey, after the dis- 
heartening reverses attending the American arms, are portrayed 
by this story. 

Other Stories: 

In the Camp of Cornwallis, dealing with this campaign, and 

Washington's Young Aids (1897) by E. T. Tomlinson. 

Across the Delaware (1903) by J. O. Kaler. 

The Scarlet Cloak (1907) by Aubrey De Haven, in which the 
hero of the story passes through this campaign. 

The Fight for the Valley. 1 904. William O. Stoddard 

Following the battle of Brandy wine (September 1777) in 
which Washington was defeated, the taking of Philadelphia by 
the British, and the repulse of Washington at Germantown, came 
Burgoyne's invasion with St. Leger. At Bennington the British 
were badly defeated. St. Leger found it necessary to besiege 
Fort Stanwix. A large number of Germans who occupied the 
valley enrolled under the American general Herkimer who came 
to the relief of the fort. At Oriskany they fell into a trap laid 
by St. Leger, but they fought so well, after the frontier fashion, 
that the British were driven back to the fort. Here they found 
that the besieged garrison had, in the absence of the British, 
entered the camp of the latter and carried off enough supplies to 



THE MODERN ERA 511 

last them for a considerable period. Arnold came to the rescue 
with 2,000 men, which assistance placed St. Leger in such danger 
that he withdrew to Lake Ontario, deserted by his Indian allies. 

These conflicts in the valley, the failure of St. Leger to take 
Fort Stanwix, his defeat at Oriskany and the necessity of retire- 
ment, are detailed by this story. These successes greatly encour- 
aged the Americans and their forces became decidedly augmented. 
The crisis was not far removed as far as Burgoyne was con- 
cerned. 

Other Stories : 

In the Valley (1890) by Harold Frederick, in which the sup- 
port of the Germans who lived in the valley, and who despised 
the British, together with the engagements of this time, are set 
forth. 

The Son of a Tory by Clinton Scollard, in which these same 
scenes in the Mohawk Valley are portrayed. 

The Sun of Saratoga. 1897. Joseph A. Altsheler 

This American author (1862-) was born at Three Springs, 
Ky. He was educated at Vanderbilt University. From 1885 t0 
1892 he was on the staff of the Louisville Courier- Journal, and 
since that time has been associated with the New York World. 
He is the author of many books that are widely read. 

At Bemis Heights, on the Hudson, in September of 1877, 
Burgoyne forced the army of Gates under the command of Ar- 
nold and Morgan. The British lost 500 men and did not renew 
the attack for three weeks. In the next engagement Burgoyne's 
loss was still greater, and he was in a most precarious position. 
He might have escaped to Fort Edward and have saved himself 
somewhat, but instead he went to Saratoga, which proved his 
Waterloo. He was surrounded by the Americans, was defeated 
and surrendered his army. Among the prisoners were six mem- 
bers of the British Parliament. This victory was one of the 
greatest events of the war as "it saved New York, destroyed the 
British plan of the war, induced the king to offer concessions (ex- 
cept independence) and secured the aid of France." The great 
credit for this success was due to Arnold and Morgan. 



5i2 HISTORICAL FICTION 

It was agreed that Burgoyne's troops should return to Eng- 
land, and were not to serve again in America during the War. 
But Burgoyne started trouble over the quarters of his officers, 
and other things entering in led the Americans to doubt whether 
the British would keep the agreement and the upshot was that 
Burgoyne's troops were held as prisoners to the end of the war. 

This story relates to Burgoyne's invasion and the operations 
leading up to his withdrawal to Saratoga, his defeat and the sur- 
render of his army. The story brings forward the antithetical 
situation of an American soldier and a girl whose parents were 
pronouncedly British in their sympathy and support, and in this 
is representative of the two classes of colonists during this period. 

Valley Forge. 1906. Alden W. Quinby 

During the winter of 1777 about 20,000 English and Hessian 
soldiers occupied the city of Philadelphia in warm quarters and 
well provided for, and spent their time in rioting and pleasure. 
The situation was vastly different at Valley Forge where Wash- 
ington went into winter quarters. "Thousands of the soldiers 
were without shoes, and the frozen ground was marked with 
bloody footprints. The sagacity of Washington had pointed to 
a strong position for his encampment. Log cabins were built for 
the soldiers, and everything was done that could be done to secure 
the comfort of the suffering patriots. But it was a long and 
dreary winter ; moaning and anguish were heard in the camp, 
and the echo fell heavy on the soul of the commander. These 
were the darkest days of Washington's life." 

The circumstances of the two armies during this winter are 
pictured by this story in which the great leaders, Washington 
on the one hand, and Cornwallis and Howe on the other, appear 
in their respective positions. 

Patriot and Tory. 1904. Edward S. Ellis 

With the return of spring (1778) Clinton took Howe's com- 
mand, and the English army was ordered to concentrate at New 
York. Leaving Philadelphia they marched northward. Wash- 
ington followed them closely and in July occurred the battle of 
Monmouth. It was Washington's wish that the attack be led by 



THE MODERN ERA 513 

Lafayette. Charles Lee, however, who had just been released 
from a British prison demanded that he should have that honor 
and to this Washington yielded. While in prison Lee was plan- 
ning and plotting to betray the Americans, and his chance had 
now come. The Americans under him had the advantage, but 
as soon as the British appeared before him he gave way with 
scarcely any resistance. When Washington learned the fact he 
shifted his men so as to check the British and then restored Lee's 
force and held off the enemy until night. By the next morning 
the British were moving into New York. Suspecting Lee's treach- 
ery, Washington denounced him. An investigation followed and 
he was suspended for a year and was finally dismissed entirely. 

Special pains have been taken by the author of this story to 
give us an absolutely accurate portrayal of this engagement and 
the approaches to it in the events from the time that the armies 
left their winter quarters. The heat of the day of this battle was 
excessive and many men died from over-exertion. A brave 
woman, whose name was Mary Hays, but who was called "Moll 
Pitcher," aided her husband, a cannoneer, until he fell dead. She 
then took his place, amid the cheers of the soldiers, and worked 
the gun through the remainder of the battle. The various particu- 
lars are well set forth in the story. 

Other Stories : 

Joscelyn Cheshire (1901) by Sara B. Kennedy, in which the 
hero was taken prisoner in the battle of Monmouth, and endured 
the miseries of the prison ships. 

In Hostile Red (1900) by J. A. Altsheler. Two American 
officers pass as Englishmen and have a good time in Philadelphia 
among the English soldiers who are quartered there for the win- 
ter. They have a narrow escape, but manage to get away and join 
Washington's army, and participate in the battle of Monmouth. 

The Pathfinders of the Revolution. 1900. William E. 

Griffis 

This American clergyman, educator and author (1843-) was 
born in Philadelphia. During the Civil War he served with the 
Forty-fourth Pennsylvania Regiment, after which, his studies 
having been interrupted, he entered and was graduated from 



514 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Rutger's College. He accepted the appointment to establish 
schools in Japan on the American plan, "and was the first Amer- 
ican teacher in regions beyond the open ports." When the feudal 
system disappeared he was appointed Professor of physical science 
in the Imperial University of Tokyo. He prepared the New 
Japan Series of reading and spelling, and returning to New York 
in 1874 he completed his theological studies in Union Theological 
Seminary. 

The British had made use of the Indian tribe, the Iroquois. 
After the battle of Saratoga the Indians were sent to raid the 
western sections of New York and Pennsylvania, the most serious 
raid being conducted by Colonel John Butler with a force of 
Tories and Seneca Indians. They overcame an American force 
near Wilkesbarre and then ravished the Wyoming Valley. The 
fort was crowded with women and children. Butler promised 
honorable terms, but as soon as the Indians entered the fort the 
hatchet and scalping-knife immediately went to work, and plun- 
dering and burning left the place desolated. In retaliation, an 
expedition under General Sullivan went through the Seneca 
country and reduced the population to a lot of starving fugitives. 

This story is a good description of these devastations on the 
part of the Indians, and also of the manner in which their power 
was broken and punishment meted out to them by General Sul- 
livan. 

Other Stories: 

The Red Chief (1905) by E. T. Tomlinson, in which is por- 
trayed the ruin of the Cherry Valley in the same year at the hands 
of a similar band of Indians. This valley in Central New York 
suffered nearly as much as the Wyoming Valley, its people, like- 
wise, being slaughtered. 

Marching Against the Iroquois by the same author describes 
these raids and the operations of General Sullivan. 



CHAPTER III 

NAVAL WARFARE OF THE REVOLUTION 

At the beginning of the war Congress called for thirteen small 
men-of-war. Before the close of the war a fleet of forty-three 
additional war vessels was afloat, averaging twenty guns each. 
Many of these, however, were taken by the British before 
doing much damage. Our great naval achievements of the war 
were those of John Paul Jones. He was a Scotchman whose real 
name was John Paul. He had made several voyages to Virginia 
where his brother was settled. At the beginning of the war he 
was given a commission in the navy as lieutenant and raised the 
first flag on a regularly commissioned American battle ship. In 
the following year he was made captain. He seized many prizes. 
While commander of the Ranger he was sailing in the Irish Sea 
and one night entered the harbor of Whitehaven and accomplished 
the daring deed of capturing a sloop-of-war of twenty guns. This 
intrepid captain, realizing what could be done with a small squad- 
ron, purchased from the king of France four ships, which, 
together with his own gave him a squadron of five vessels. 

The Stories 

Richard Carvel. 1899. Winston Churchill 

The author (1871-), an American novelist, was born in St. 
Louis, Mo., and received his education at Annapolis in the United 
States Military Academy. He became the managing editor of 
the Cosmopolitan Magazine, and also contributed stories to lead- 
ing journals. His popularity is due to his four great novels, 
Richard Carvel, The Crisis, The Crossing and Coniston. 

After securing his squadron, Paul Jones personally com- 
manded the largest of the five ships, the Bon Homme Richard, 
which carried 44 guns. The squadron passed along the coast of 
Scotland and Ireland, taking many prizes, and Jones determined 
upon sailing into the harbor of Leith and destroying the ship- 

515 



516 HISTORICAL FICTION 

ping. This project had to be abandoned on account of a severe 
storm. 

In September, 1779, he sighted forty merchantmen near Hull 
under the protection of two British men-of-war, the Serapis 
which carried 50 guns, and the Countess of Scarborough having 
28 guns. He at once engaged the Serapis and at the beginning of 
the battle two of his guns burst. He at once realized that it would 
be absolutely necessary to board his antagonist. In trying to come 
alongside, the commander of the Serapis called to him asking if 
his ship had struck her colors. Jones sent back the answer, "I 
have not yet begun to fight." With his own hands Jones lashed 
the two ships together. 

Then began a hand-to-hand battle on the English ship that 
lasted for two hours. The British ship was set afire and she was 
compelled to surrender. The Bon Homme Richard, riddled by 
cannon shot, had six feet of water in her hold and sank two days 
later. The two English war vessels were brought into port as 
prizes, and Jones at once became the popular hero in France and 
America. To be beaten within sight of their own shores was 
humiliating to the nation that was a sea power of such distinction. 

For a long time it was not known where Jones was buried, 
as he entered the Russian service at the close of the war, and 
leaving that, took up his residence in France, where he died in 
1792. Morris, the United States minister to France, "had the 
body placed in a lead coffin filled with alcohol, and placed in the 
vault of the church of foreign Protestants, temporarily, so it could 
be brought home for burial. But three months later the days of 
the Terror began, and Jones' casket was hurried into an unmarked 
grave in the old cemetery of St. Louis. The ground was after- 
wards built over, and our hero lay under a solid block of build- 
ings for more than a century." It was in 1905 that Horace Por- 
ter, the American ambassador, after searching for five years, 
unearthed the casket, and the remains of our first naval hero 
were brought home in a man-of-war, under an escort of United 
States war vessels, and buried at the Naval Academy, Annapolis. 

Just prior to his death he was offered the command of the navy 
of the French Republic. Napoleon deplored the death of a man 
of such naval ability at the age of forty-five and said that"if Jones 
had lived France would have had an admiral worthy to meet Nel- 



THE MODERN ERA 517 

son at Trafalgar." Jones did not die a pauper as has sometimes 
been supposed. His fortune amounting to $50,000 was well in- 
vested and was inherited by his Scotch relatives. He spoke French 
and Spanish, and was a student of history, literature and philos- 
ophy, and it is said that he knew as much of seamanship as any 
man in his Majesty's navy. 

In this story, the titular hero was reared by his grandfather, 
Lionel Carvel, of Carvel Hall, Maryland. He is the heir to the 
family estates. Richard is a most zealous and fiery patriot in his 
support of the cause of the colonies. This fact furnishes an oppor- 
tunity for an uncle, Grafton Carvel, to work up a plot against 
Richard with a view to securing for his son Philip heirship to the 
estate. He succeeds in getting him kidnapped and put aboard a 
pirate slaver. The slaver is captured by Paul Jones and he and 
Richard enter into close companionship. This is prior to the 
war, and in London the two men have an interesting time in the 
society of distinguished people. When the war breaks out he 
enters the naval service under Paul Jones and participates in the 
battle between the Bon Homme Richard and the Serapis. When 
the war is over he marries the girl he has always loved from the 
time of his boyhood. 

With the Flag in the Channel. 1902. James Barnes 

This American author (1866-) was born at Annapolis, Md. 
In 1 89 1 he was graduated at Princeton University. For some time 
he was connected with Scribner's Magazine, and during 1894-5 
was assistant editor of Harper's Weekly. From 1895 t0 I 9 01 ^ e 
was war correspondent for The Outlook in South Africa, and 
later was the editor of Appleton's Book-Lover's Magazine. He 
is the author of a number of historical novels. 

This story is compiled from journals and documents of an 
American naval officer. He served under Paul Jones, and had 
the command of two vessels that operated in the English Channel. 

The Pilot. 1824. J. Fenimore Cooper 

This is a love romance in a maritime setting. It describes the 
achievements of Paul Jones in his naval exploits during the war. 
The most original character is an old coxswain, Long Tom Coffin. 



518 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Cooper, however, considered that his best delineation was that of 
the character Boltrope. Opposed to his opinion is the following 
statement : "We cannot assent to this comparative estimate ; but 
we admit that Boltrope has not had full justice done to him in 
popular judgment. It is but a slight sketch, but it is extremely 
well done. His death is a bit of manly and genuine pathos ; and 
in his conversation with the chaplain there is here and there a 
touch of true humor, which we value the more because humor 
was certainly not one of the author's best gifts." 

The Noank's Log. 1900. William O. Stoddard 

This story gives a good account of the state of the American 
navy at the beginning of the war. Special attention is given to 
the operations of the privateers. An important phase of the war 
was the manner in which English shipping was menaced by priva- 
teersmen. Individuals were encouraged by the government to 
fit out vessels for this work which were authorized to prey upon 
English merchantmen, and to take their pay from the sale of the 
prizes. Many of the prizes were sold in French harbors. The 
citizens of New England supplying these vessels did a thriving 
business and reaped vast profits. Massachusetts and Pennsylvania 
had about 500 ships each, in this service. It is thought that at 
one time 70,000 Americans were engaged in the work. At the 
close of the first year of the war the merchants of London declared 
their loss amounted to nine million dollars. 



CHAPTER IV 
THE WAR IN THE SOUTHERN STATES 

The British now carried the war into the South. Unable to 
conquer the North, the plan was "to begin with Georgia, the 
weakest of the Southern States, and roll up the South from that 
point." To lend encouragement to this move the British were 
given to understand that the South was much more loyal to their 
cause. 

At the close of 1778 Savannah was captured by Clinton. The 
Loyalists in Georgia and South Carolina supported them, and 
these two states seemed to pass wholly under British arms. It 
looked as though the South were lost to the Americans, and many 
in the South, not particularly in sympathy with the cause of Inde- 
pendence, swore allegiance to the King. 

General Gates was sent by Congress to take command where 
the British had gained a foothold. Washington had commended 
Greene for that appointment, a brilliant soldier of the type of 
Washington himself, while Gates was quite the contrary. It is 
the last stage of the war and the following stories deal with this 
period. 

The Stories 

Scouting for Washington. 1900. John P. True 

This story goes back to the beginning of the war, when excite- 
ment and indignation were being steadily intensified by the acts of 
Britain. The capturing of the American ammunition was another 
occasion of an outburst on the part of the people. In the course 
of the war the British officer Tarleton appears who carries Wash- 
ington's spy into the South, but the latter finally contrives to 
escape. The character of Tarleton appears in his defeat of the 
small American army at Waxhaw. When 500 of them surrendered 
and asked for quarter he replied by shooting down over 100 and 
leaving 1 50 so badly wounded that they could not be moved. This 
and the following stories by this author give us a good descrip- 
tion of these Southern operations. 

519 



520 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Morgan's Men. 1901. John P. True 

At Camden, Gates might have defeated Rawdon had he been 
more expeditious, but he allowed Cornwallis to come up with 
reinforcements and Gates suffered a crushing defeat. Following 
the American victory in the battle of King's Mountain, Greene 
took charge of the American army. Morgan with 600 men was 
sent to threaten the British post at Ninety-six. Morgan was a 
superior officer. He met Tarleton at Cowpens. The latter's force 
was a little stronger. By the manner in which Morgan planned 
the battle the British were deceived, and were completely sur- 
rounded by the American divisions and the latter gained a decis- 
ive victory. At a critical point of the battle William Washington 
made a furious charge and scattered the British dragoons. Wash- 
ington and Tarleton had a personal encounter and Tarleton fled 
with a sword cut. 

This story, which is a continuation of the last, shows how 
Tarleton is drawn away from Ninety-six by Morgan's detach- 
ment, and Cornwallis' movement northward in the hope of divid- 
ing the two wings of the American army. When Pickens joined 
Morgan, the latter's force was increased to nearly 1,000 men. 
The victory at Cowpens is described, also the manner in which 
it was reported to the British general. 

On Guard. 1902. John P. True 

When the battle of Cowpens was fought, Greene and Mor- 
gan were 125 miles apart. And now began a race across North 
Carolina, the two wings of the American army drawing closer, 
while Cornwallis was exerting every effort to catch Morgan be- 
fore he should unite with Greene. The rising of the Catawba and 
Yadkin rivers interrupted Cornwallis in his pursuit and enabled 
the two wings to come together at Guilford Court House. Rein- 
forcements increased Greene's army to 4,400 men. While the army 
of Cornwallis was only half as large it consisted of regulars 
against which many of Greene's men could not stand. The Amer- 
icans were defeated with a heavy loss in men and artillery. 

In this story the pursuit of the Americans through Carolina 
is described, and the additional movement to the Dan river where 



THE MODERN ERA 521 

reinforcements came to Greene and the recrossing of the river to 
Guilford Court House where he offered battle. If the American 
militia had stood firm Cornwallis would no doubt have suffered 
a great defeat ; but the raw recruits got frightened, broke line and 
fled and the ranks were thrown into confusion. 

Scouting for Light Horse Harry. 1911. John P. True 

Local cavalry leaders played an important part in the South- 
ern campaigns. The most famous of these was Colonel Henry 
Lee, the father of General Robert E. Lee, the Confederate leader 
of the Civil War. Henry Lee was known as "Light Horse 
Harry," because of his rapidly moving legion. He rendered 
Greene very great service. 

Cornwallis proceeded to Virginia leaving the British forces 
in the Carolinas under Lord Rawdon. Greene marched into South 
Carolina. A detachment of his force was sent to Fort Watson 
and compelled it to surrender. Marching to Hobkirk's Hill Greene 
selected a strong position and waited for Rawdon. The latter 
was at Camden, but a short distance away. With his entire force 
he attacked the American camp, which was almost taken unawares. 
When it seemed that the entire British force would be captured, 
at a critical point of the battle, some of the best American offi- 
cers were killed. Their regiments became confused and fell back. 
Taking advantage of this, Rawdon drove the center and won the 
day. Greene made a masterly retreat and saved his artillery. 

These operations from the battle of Guilford Court House 
are described by this story — the march of Greene to Hobkirk's 
Hill, the taking of Fort Watson and the victory of the British. 
Ludlow, in the story, is captured and has an exciting time with 
Rawdon. 

Eutaw. 1856. William G. Simms 

Marion, Lee and Sumter were actively engaged in moving 
from point to point, cutting off the enemy's supplies, breaking up 
their communications and striking heavy blows at the Tories. 
The British fled before the approach of Greene and took a posi- 
tion at Eutaw Springs. Here was fought one of the fiercest bat- 
tles of the war. Greene's victory would have been decisive but 



522 HISTORICAL FICTION 

for the conduct of some of his men. Over 500 British were taken 
prisoners, and south of Virginia all that remained in possession 
of the British were Charleston and Savannah. Thus the Southern 
country was practically restored to the Americans. 

This story deals with this period from the time that Rawdon, 
after the battle of Hobkirk's Hill, resigned the command of his 
forces to Colonel Stuart. Greene leaves the heights of the Santee 
while the British move on to Eutaw Springs, and there the two 
forces come together. The leaders on both sides are well pre- 
sented and delineated. 

The Treason of Benedict Arnold 

Benedict Arnold was one of the bravest and most efficient 
officers of the American army. He distinguished himself at Que- 
bec and Saratoga, and at the battle of Freeman's Farm he exhibi- 
ted great dash and courage. He was stung to the quick when 
Congress ignored him and made major-generals of some briga- 
diers who were far less competent than he and much less deserved 
promotion. To be sure, at this time charges made by personal 
enemies and of a purely malicious nature were being investi- 
gated. After he was wholly exonerated he was made a major- 
general, but at a lower rank than that to which, by his former 
rating, he was entitled. 

He resented the treatment he had received at the hands of 
Congress, both in this matter and other charges made against 
him of which he was innocent, and disgusted and embittered he 
decided to betray the cause he had served so well. Washington 
held him in high regard, and when Arnold applied to him for the 
command of West Point it was granted. This was the most 
important fortress in the United States, the chief reliance for 
keeping back the enemy. 

Major John Andre, Clinton's adjutant, was brought into rela- 
tion with Arnold in conducting the correspondence that passed 
between Arnold and Margaret Shippen in Philadelphia, whom 
Arnold married. In September, 1780 Andre and Arnold had a 
meeting at which time Arnold gave Andre the plans of West 
Point with full descriptions. Near Tarrytown, Andre was arrested 
by American pickets, and with the papers found on his person he 
was taken to the nearest post. Learning of this fact Arnold at 



THE MODERN ERA 523 

once fled to the British. Andre was tried as a spy and executed. 
The discovery of the treachery saved West Point. Arnold re- 
ceived a sum of money from the British and a brigadier general's 
commission. But he was shunned and despised by soldiers and 
officers. 

Twenty years later he died in England in great remorse. It is 
said that just before he died he said to his family : "Bring me the 
epaulettes and sword-knots which Washington gave me; let me 
die in my old American uniform, the uniform in which I fought 
my battles. God forgive me for ever putting on any other. ,, 

The Stories 
A New England Maid. 1910. Eliza F. Pollard 

In 1778 Arnold was appointed to the command of Philadel- 
phia. It was during that time that he became entangled with the 
authorities of Pennsylvania out of which grew charges for which 
he was tried by court-martial. 

The story deals with the affairs of Arnold from the time he 
was given this command. Thus the circumstances of this period 
are related to the things that followed and eventually to the blight- 
ing of his career by his despicable treachery. What is of special 
interest in the story is the effort put forth by Arnold's sister to 
save Andre from the consequences of his part in Arnold's treason. 

A Traitor's Escape. 1898. James O. Kaler 

As soon as Arnold learned that Andre had been captured he 
fled to New York and joined the British. A correspondence had 
passed between him and the British general, Clinton, and even 
if it had been proposed by Washington that Arnold be exchanged 
for Andre, who was condemned to death, it is most likely that 
Clinton would have felt duty bound to Arnold not to accede to 
the proposal. 

This story describes the attempt to capture Arnold after his 
escape from West Point and his success in getting to the British 
army. 



524 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Closing Events of the War 

Leaving Wilmington, Cornwallis marched to Petersburg, Vir- 
ginia, where he found Arnold at the head of 3,000 British troops. 
They had burned Richmond and Manchester. Cornwallis now 
assumed the command of Arnold's troops and with 5,000 men 
came to Richmond. Here was Lafayette with half as many 
troops. He withdrew to the north with Cornwallis in pursuit. 
Cornwallis gave this up and finally made his base at Yorktown. 
He had now 7,000 men while Lafayette's force now numbered 
3,500. Washington with 6,000 men was keeping track of Clinton 
in New York, and Rochambeau with 5,000 men was at Newport. 

At this point an offer came from De Grasse in the West Indies 
to cooperate with the Americans with his fleet. Washington 
seized the opportunity and De Grasse was requested to blockade 
Cornwallis. A French and American force of 6,000 now joined 
Lafayette and in September, 1781, the siege of Yorktown began. 
De Grasse brought 3,000 additional French troops, and thus 
the British force of 7,500 at Yorktown was surrounded by 16,000, 
7,800 of whom were regulars of the French army. 

In this extremity in which Cornwallis was placed, Clinton dis- 
patched Arnold with 2,000 men to raid New London in the hope 
of drawing Washington from Virginia. With his ships laden with 
spoils, and his work of destruction accomplished, Arnold returned 
to New York. The expeditions sent out for the relief of Corn- 
wallis accomplished nothing. 

On the night of October 14, a French and an American detach- 
ment under Alexander Hamilton stormed two redoubts and car- 
ried them, which achievement left the defences of Cornwallis at 
the mercy of the besiegers. Under heavy fire his fortress crum- 
bled, and on the 17th he surrendered and accepted Washington's 
terms. "After six years' fighting and at great expense, England 
had proved her inability to subdue the country." America had 
won her freedom, and took her place as a free and independent 
State among the nations of the world. 

The Stories 
The Scarlet Coat. 1896. Clinton Ross 

The siege of Yorktown is described in this story. The con- 
tribution of France to the war and particularly to these closing 



THE MODERN ERA 525 

scenes is stated. It exhibits Cornwallis hemmed in, his defences 
gone, and compelled to surrender. 

Other Stories : 

True to the Old Flag (1884) by G. A. Henty, which traces 
practically the whole course of the war from the opening of hos- 
tilities to the surrender of Cornwallis. 

With Lafayette at Yorktown (1904) by J. O. Kaler, in which 
Lafayette is the conspicuous personage. 

Mr. Newton has given the following as the "Causes of Amer- 
ican Success." 

1. Unfailing courage and ability of Washington. 

2. The persistent spirit of the American patriots. 

3. Alliance and support of the French. 

4. The weakness of the British commanders in the field. 

5. The inability of the English to send reinforcements to their 
army because of other wars. 

6. General apathy of the British public. 



ORGANIZATION— DEVELOPMENT- 
SECTIONALISM 

The emergence into a new state of being — that of national 
independence — could not fail to be attended with two great men- 
tal attitudes : one, the realization of being free, released from a 
state of subjugation to another power; the other, the profound 
sense of responsibility in shaping the course of a new nation, the 
establishment of its institutions and the true interpretation and 
maintenance of the great central principle for which it struggled. 

The following brief outline will serve as a sketch of the early 
period in the process of establishing a government. 

I. To the Making of the Constitution. 

1. The Second Continental Congress, 1777. 

2. The Articles of Confederation. 

3. Ordinance of 1787 — Free Government and Slavery 

Excluded from Northwest Territory. 

4. Shay's Rebellion. 

II. Formulation and Ratification of the Constitution. 

1. The Meeting at Annapolis, 1786. Five States Rep- 

resented. 

2. Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia, 1787. 

George Washington the Presiding Officer. 
Represented by 55 Members. 

(1) The Three Great Compromises. Relative to 

Representation and Slavery. 

(2) The Constitution Providing for the Three De- 

partments — Legislative, Executive, Judicial. 

(3) The National Legislature as Divided by the 

Constitution. 
526 



THE MODERN ERA 527 

(4) Establishment of a Supreme Court and Its 

Province. 

(5) The Distribution of Power for the Mainte- 

nance of Liberty. 

3. Passing and Ratification of the Constitution. 

( 1 ) Federalists — Supporters of the Constitution. 

(2) Anti-Federalists — Grounds of Opposition. 

(3) Adoption by States. 

Delaware the First to Ratify the Constitu- 
tion, 1787. 

Seven More by June, 1788. 

New Hampshire, New York, Virginia, fol- 
lowed immediately. 

4. Provision for the Election of President. 



CHAPTER I 
TO THE WAR OF 1812 

The era between the close of the war and the adoption of the 
Constitution has been known as the "Critical Period" of our 
country. Emerging from the devastations and disintegrations of 
war, a great, new world that has yet to formulate the principles 
of its government, and to organize its political system and the 
great interests of the nation. It might well be called a critical 
period through which the new state would pass. 

In passing the Constitution the Federalists believed it to be the 
best system for the government of the United States. The 
Anti- Federalists opposed the increase of federal powers, and were 
afraid that its provisions were inimical to the rights and liberties 
of the states. After the Constitution was adopted both parties 
favored the instrument and then differed only as to how it should 
be interpreted, whether there should be placed upon it a liberal 
or strict construction. 

The following incident closes the Journal of the Constitutional 
Convention by Madison : "Whilst the last members were signing, 
Doctor Franklin, looking towards the President's chair, at the 
back of which a rising sun happened to be painted, observed to a 
few members near him that painters had found it difficult to dis- 
tinguish in their art a rising from a setting sun. T have', said he, 
'often and often in the course of the sessions and the vicissitudes 
of my hopes and fears as to its issue, looked at that behind the 
president without being able to tell whether it was rising or set- 
ting; but now at length I have the happiness to know that it is 
a rising and not a setting sun/ " 

"Sail On, O Ship of State," by Longfellow, and "Against the 
Adoption of the Constitution," by Patrick Henry, may be noted 
in this connection. 

Administration of George Washington 

During this period (1789- 1797) the new Government was 
organized on a permanent basis. The supreme, circuit and dis- 

528 



THE MODERN ERA 529 

trict courts were established. The departments of State, War and 
Treasury were formed. The first Ten Amendments were adopted. 
"Washington was an aristocrat by birth, position and inclination. 
On the other hand, his dignity, self-control, sympathy and unfail- 
ing judgment made him revered by the masses of the people. 
Trained by experience, he had the essentials of statesmanship — 
great character, dignity, rectitude of purpose and knowledge of 
men." 

The Stories 

The Heritage. 1902. Burton E. Stevenson 

The great number of white settlers pouring into the region 
north of the Ohio River was resisted by the Indians, who were 
being crowded out of their old hunting-grounds. In 1790 the 
government sent a force under General Harmar to subdue them, 
in which conflict the Indians were victorious. The next year 
another expedition was sent out under General St. Clair, which 
was also defeated. It was not until General Anthony Wayne 
utterly crushed them in the desperate battle of Fallen Timbers 
that the menace was removed. 

The historical setting of this story is this settling of Ohio by 
the whites, the hostilities of the Indians and the two expeditions 
sent against them. It sets forth the defeat of St. Clair by the 
famous chief, "Little Turtle," and the subsequent victory of 
Wayne. These conflicts with the Indians are also described by 
J. A. Altsheler in his story, The Wilderness Road (1901). 

The Maid of Maiden Lane. 1900. Amelia E. Barr 

The first capital of the country was New York. There Wash- 
ington was inaugurated. Then for ten years the capital was Phila- 
delphia. The question of the location of the capital gave rise to 
a heated argument. Northern Congressmen thought it should be 
somewhere on the Delaware, while Southern members contended 
for a location on the Potomac. The Potomac site was finally 
adopted, and the Federal City, named after the first President, 
was located in the South. The tract was selected by the Presi- 
dent himself and was named the District of Columbia. It is sixty 
miles in extent and is governed by Congress. Jefferson was the 
first president to be inaugurated in Washington. 



53o HISTORICAL FICTION 

The intense interest and heated disputations caused by this 
question of the Capital are brought forward by this story. This 
was the first period of the French Revolution, and France being 
at war with England, America naturally attracted those of the 
French who were anxious to escape the ravages of the Revolu- 
tion. These facts, together with our relations with Britain re- 
garding the matter of her claims relative to the colonies, are lead- 
ing interests in this story. 

The reader will find "Washington Abroad and at Home," by 
Edward Everett, of interest. 

Administration of John Adams 

During this period (1797-1801) trouble with France arose, 
Alien and Sedition Laws were passed, and the Virginia and Ken- 
tucky Resolutions were drawn up declaring that Alien and Sedi- 
tion acts are violations of the Constitution, that the Constitution 
is simply an agreement between States, and that it is the right of 
each state to decide for itself as to the constitutionality of a law. 
In 1799 Washington died. This administration was one of the 
most turbulent in our history. 

The Story 
Little Jarvis. 1890. Molly E. Seawell 

This American author (i860-) was born in Gloucester County, 
Virginia. She wrote from an early age. She won recognition 
by the publication of Little Jarvis, and since then her novels have 
attracted attention. 

When war broke out between France and England the leaders 
of the French Republic sent Genet to this country to solicit help 
in the way of men and money, in other words, to join France in 
her war with Britain in return for the help she gave us in our 
struggle. Washington took the ground that we must not meddle 
with European troubles and stood firmly for neutrality. This 
greatly embittered France, as also the signing of the Jay Treaty. 
French cruisers captured some of our merchant vessels, and pri- 
vate agents declared to the American representatives in Paris 
that unless we paid a heavy bribe to its chief officers the French 
Government would make war on us. The French agents were 



THE MODERN ERA 531 

spoken of by Adams as X, Y and Z, without revealing their 
names. He brought the matter before Congress, and the people 
declared, "Not one cent for tribute !" Vessels were captured on 
both sides, and it might have ended more seriously but Napoleon 
came into power and made peace with America. 

The story deals with this unfortunate affair. It describes the 
battle between the Constellation and La Vengeance. Our four- 
teen men-of-war were dispatched to West Indian waters, where 
several of our merchant ships had been captured by the U Insur- 
gent. The Constellation overhauled and defeated this French 
vessel. A little later occurred the drawn battle with the La Ven- 
geance, in which the part played by Little Jarvis, who refused to 
leave his post during the battle, is given by this story. 

It was during the great excitement created by this war that 
Joseph Hopkinson, a prominent lawyer in Philadelphia, wrote 
the stirring song, "Hail Columbia." 

Administration of Thomas Jefferson 

This administration ( 180 1- 1809) was the triumph of the 
Democratic-Republicans, who were now being called Democrats. 
Jefferson was a Virginian and a graduate of William and Mary 
College. He was Governor of Virginia, for five years was the 
American minister to France, and served as Secretary of State. 
He founded the University of Virginia. He was an idealist and 
political philosopher. "He had liberal political theories and his 
exposition of general republican (democratic) ideas still meets' 
with wide approval. He understood the American people, and 
molded public opinion as few man have done." 

The Stories 
Decatur and Somers. 1894. Molly E. Seawell 

One of the events of this administration was the war with 
Tripoli ( 1 801 -1 805). The Barbary States — the Moorish King- 
doms of North Africa — laid tribute on trade in the Mediterranean. 
Our ships began to be seized and we were compelled to buy 
treaties. In 1801 Captain Dale was sent with four men-of-war to 
protect our commerce, and in the same year Captain Preble was 



532 HISTORICAL FICTION 

sent out with another squadron. In the end peace was secured 
by which the United States was released from paying tribute in 
the future. 

This story deals with this war and especially the two incidents 
of heroism by which the war is particularly remembered. The 
warship, Philadelphia, in pursuing the enemy ran aground at the 
mouth of the harbor of Tripoli and had to be abandoned. The 
ship was afterwards captured by the Tripolitans, set free, and 
brought under the protection of their guns. Stephen Decatur 
sailed into the harbor, boarded the Philadelphia with a crew of 
about 70 men, drove the Moors from the vessel, filled it with com- 
bustibles and set it afire. He escaped without the loss of a man. 
This incident is well described by the story. 

The other incident was the brave act of Lieutenant Somers 
and his men. They were sent with the Intrepid, loaded with 
bombs and powder, to place the vessels in the midst of the enemy's 
ships and blow it up. Neither Somers nor his men returned, and 
it was believed that he leaped into the magazine with a lighted 
torch and thus accomplished his mission. 



The Code of Victor Jallot. 1907. Edward C. Carpenter 

The leading event of this administration was the purchase of 
Louisiana (1803), Napoleon, realizing the difficulty of maintain- 
ing colonial interests at so great a distance, ordered his minister 
to sell Louisiana, which he had compelled Spain to cede to France, 
and had assured Spain that he would not sell. Monroe and Liv- 
ingston secured the entire province for $15,000,000, which was 
less than three cents an acre. Napoleon was in great need of the 
money and was glad to get it, but he also realized what an advan- 
tage it was to us to secure this section, for he said, "This acces- 
sion of territory established forever the power of the United 
States." It included nearly all of the area that now comprises 
twelve states. 

This story belongs to this time and the transfer of this great 
section to the United States. The Spanish and French popula- 
tion greatly opposed the deal and plots were hatched. It is with 
one of these that the story is concerned. 



THE MODERN ERA 533 

Blennerhassett. 1901. Charles F. Pidgin 

This American writer and inventor (1844-) was born at Rox- 
bury, Mass. From 1863 to 1873 ne was i n mercantile business in 
Boston. From 1873 to 1903 he was chief clerk of the Massachu- 
setts Bureau of Statistics and Labor. He is known as the inventor 
of an electrical adding and multiplying machine, an addition reg- 
ister and other devices of a like nature. 

After the duel with Hamilton, whose death aroused popular 
indignation, Aaron Burr fled to the South. He went into the West 
and lived with an Irish exile named Blennerhassett, who lived in 
a fine mansion on an island in the Ohio. With him Burr concocted 
a treasonable scheme to raise a military force, snatch Mexico from 
the Spaniards, separate the southern and western states from the 
country, out of these form an empire and set himself up as dic- 
tator. He spent two years on this plot, and when he fell under 
suspicion was arrested in 1807 and tried for treason. For want 
of sufficient proof he barely escaped conviction, and spent some 
years in Europe. 

This story details the facts of this scheme into which Blenner- 
hassett was drawn. The suspicion aroused, Burr's arrest, the 
breaking up of the military preparations on the island, the trial 
and verdict, are well described. 

Other stories : 

A Son of the Revolution (1898), by E. S. Brooks, which deals 
with Burr's enterprise and the growth and development of the 
western country. 

Zachary Phips (1892), by E. L. Binner, participation in Burr's 
scheme by a Bostonian. 



A Volunteer with Pike. 1909. Robert A. Bennett 

Among the most important explorations conducted in the new 
section purchased from Napoleon was that of Captain Zebulon 
Pike in 1806-7. He and his party traversed Kansas and Colo- 
rado, a country up to this time unknown to Americans. They 
gathered much valuable information regarding the region, had 
dealings with the Indians, encountered hardships and discovered 



534 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Pike's Peak. In New Mexico they were held as prisoners for a 
time. 

These interests are quite closely connected in this story, all 
bearing on the Louisiana Purchase. The relation into which we 
were brought with Spain, which had ceded this section to Napo- 
leon, now involved the question of boundary lines. The scheme 
of Burr relative to this and other sections into which the hero 
of the story enters is described. The explorations of Pike in the 
new region, whose expedition is now joined by the hero, are por- 
trayed. Their experience in Mexico is also set forth. 



CHAPTER II 

THE WAR OF 1812 
Administration of James Madison 

Madison, whose administration extended from 1809 to 1817, 
was a Virginian, and was one of the principal members of both 
the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention. 
England and France were at war, and both countries had tricked 
America into sending them large quantities of supplies, assuring 
a large profit and protection. When the ships arrived they were 
rejected on the ground that no such authority had been given their 
ministers. 

During this time British war vessels kept close to the American 
coast, which not only searched our vessels for deserters from the 
British navy, but pressed into their service many naturalized 
American citizens. Congress declared war against Great Britain 
on four counts: (1) Impressment of American sailors; (2) In- 
terference with trade with foreign nations ; (3) Capturing Ameri- 
can merchantmen; (4) Stirring up Indian activities against set- 
tlers in the West. 

The Stories 

Roxy. 1878. Edward Eggleston 

This American novelist and historian (1837- 1902) was born 
at Vevay, Ind. He was largely a self-educated man, having by 
his own efforts pursued the study of Latin, Greek, French and 
French literature. He was a Methodist circuit rider at nineteen 
years of age and preached for ten years. He then became editor 
of the Little Corporal at Evanston, 111., and in 1870 literary editor 
of the Independent in New York, and later editor of Hearth and 
Home. The scenes of his most popular novels were laid in South- 
ern Indiana, such as appear in The Hoosier Schoolmaster, and 
others. 

A confederation of the Western tribes of Indians was formed 
by Tecumseh, chief of the Shawnee tribe of Ohio, assisted bv 
his brother, "the Shawnee Prophet," the object of which was to 

535 



536 HISTORICAL FICTION 

expel the American settlers. It was declared that the British 
aided this confederation by supplying them with arms and ammu- 
nition. In 1811 General William H. Harrison took up arms 
against the Shawnee, and defeated them in the battle of Tippe- 
canoe Creek. 

The scene of this story is laid in Indiana in the time of this 
conflict with the Indians. It describes the prevailing conditions 
and the defeat of the Indians. 

Love Thrives in War. 1903. Mary C. Crowley 

In 181 2 General William Hull led 2,000 men from Ohio to 
Detroit, making a road for themselves through a dense forest. 
After crossing the Detroit River, Hull was afraid to attack Gen- 
eral Brock's force, which was about half as large as his own, an 
act which thoroughly disgusted his troops. Brock followed him 
to Detroit and demanded the surrender of the city. Without an 
effort to defend himself Hull handed over everything, and de- 
fended his action on the ground that he was afraid the Indians 
would butcher his men had he resisted. The taking of Detroit 
left the frontier exposed to Indian raids. 

The various interests of this story relating to Detroit lead 
to this event of the war, when Hull so weakly surrendered to 
Brock. It introduces many historical personages on both sides. 

When Wilderness Was King. 1904. Randall Parrish 

Chicago was not organized as a city until 1835, at which time 
it had a population of about 3,000. On this site Fort Dearborn 
was built in 1804. The day before Hull surrendered Detroit he 
ordered the garrison here to evacuate the fort. It consisted of 
about 100 people, including settlers. A force of 500 Indians mas- 
sacred about 70 of the party who had been deceived by those who 
promised to take them to a safe place. On the following day 
the fort was destroyed. It was rebuilt in 1816 and so remained 
until 1856. 

This massacre by the Indian tribes fighting on the side of Bri- 
tain is described in this story, which does not maintain historical 
accuracy in its account. 



THE MODERN ERA 537 

A Beautiful Rebel. 1909. Wilfred Campbell 

In October, 1812, a force of 1,000 men under Solomon Van 
Rensselaer attacked Queenstown on the Canadian side of the 
river. The British batteries on the heights of Queenstown were 
carried by a charge. General Brock rallied his forces and charged 
but was repulsed, and the brave Brock fell mortally wounded. 
British reinforcements arrived and the Americans were defeated. 
A division of 1,200 Americans across the river refused to aid 
Rensselaer's forces, declaring they were there to defend the United 
States and not to invade Canada. This so disgusted Rensselaer 
that he resigned his command. 

This engagement at Queenstown is portrayed by this story. 

Commodore Bainbridge. 1897. James Barnes 

Commodore Bainbridge was in command of the Constitution. 
On December 29, 1812, after Decatur had captured the British 
frigate Macedonia, and Captain Porter the Norton, the Consti- 
tution met the Java off San Salvador. A furious battle raged for 
two hours. The masts were torn from the Java and her hull was 
burst with shot. She was reduced to a wreck before striking her 
colors. Her crew of 400 was transferred to the Constitution and 
the Java was burned. 

It was Bainbridge who commanded the Philadelphia during 
the trouble with Tripoli, which ran aground when chasing a pirate, 
and was captured by the Tripolitans. Bainbridge and his crew 
were made prisoners. The officers were treated with respect, but 
the crew were enslaved. 

Both of these events in connection with the Philadelphia and 
the Constitution are fully presented in this story. The defeat of 
the Java was one of the most important victories of the war. 

The Constitution, which had also decisively defeated the 
Guerriere, was fondly called "Old Ironsides." Being too old to 
be of any further naval service, in 1825 it was proposed that it 
be broken up. This aroused considerable indignation. Oliver 
Wendell Holmes, a boy of 16 at the time, gave expression of this 
feeling in the following poem entitled Old Ironsides, published in 
a Boston newspaper and circulated about the country : 



53% HISTORICAL FICTION 

Ay, tear her tattered ensign down ! 

Long has it waved on high, 
And many an eye has danced to see 

That banner in the sky ; 
Beneath it rung the battle shout, 

And burst the cannon's roar — 
The meteor of the ocean air 

Shall sweep the clouds no more. 

Her deck once red with heroes' blood, 

Where knelt the vanquished foe, 
When winds were hurrying o'er the flood, 

And waves were white below, 
No more shall feel the victor's tread, 

Or know the conquered knee — 
The harpies of the shore shall pluck 

The eagle of the sea ! 

Oh, better that her shattered hulk 

Should sink beneath the wave ; 
Her thunders shook the mighty deep, 

And there should be her grave ; 
Nail to the mast her holy flag, 

Set every threadbare sail, 
And give her to the god of storms, 

The lightning and the gale ! 

The effect of these lines was so great that the proposal was 
abandoned. She was restored to her original appearance and can 
still be seen at the navy-yard in Charlestown, Mass. 

With Perry on Lake Erie. 1899. James O. Kaler 

The American forces being defeated in Canada and failing to 
keep the region of the upper Great Lakes from falling to the 
British, there was danger that the latter might get possession of 
the Great Lakes. This was prevented by the splendid work of 
Captain Oliver H. Perry. He collected a fleet of nine vessels, 
five of which were built from green timber cut by his men on 
the banks of the lake. In 1813 he was attacked by six British 



THE MODERN ERA 539 

ships, which outnumbered him, however, in men and guns. Perry's 
flagship, the Lawrence, was sunk. He rowed through the thick 
of the fight to another with bullets whistling about him. His vic- 
tory was complete, which he announced in his famous message 
to General Harrison, written hurriedly on the blank page of a let- 
ter : "We have met the enemy and they are ours." 

In this story this decisive victory on Lake Erie with Perry 
figuring largely is described. The expedition into Canada, with 
a view to capturing Toronto, the taking of the city by Dearborn, 
the return of the troops to Fort George and the retreat of the 
British to Burlington Bay, combine with Perry's victory in this 
story to set forth these important events of the war, and regain- 
ing what had been lost. 

The reader is referred to : 

The Sea Fight — Perry on Lake Erie — Irving Bacheller (from 
"D'ri and I"). 

Smith Brunt. 1899. Waldron K. Post 

After sinking the British $hip*Peacock, Captain James Law- 
rence was placed in command of the Chesapeake, one of the best 
frigates in the American navy. Captain Broke, of the British 
frigate Shannon, sent him a challenge to come out of port and 
fight him. Lawrence had an ill-assorted crew, but he accepted 
the challenge. It was a brief but obstinate battle. In a short 
time every officer of the Chesapeake was killed or wounded. Then 
the brave young Lawrence was struck down with a musket-ball. 
He fell upon the deck, slippery with blood, and as they carried 
him below he gave his last order : "Don't Give Up the Ship !" 
Leaping upon the shattered vessel the British ran up the English 
flag and towed her as a prize into the harbor of Halifax. There 
the British tenderly and honorably buried the bodies of Lawrence 
and Ludlow. 

The leading interest of this story is the description of this 
battle. 

With Porter in the Essex. 1901. James O. Kaler 

Captain David Porter served on the Constellation in the 
famous battle with the Insurgent, and was captured when the 



540 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Philadelphia ran aground at Tripoli. On August 13, 1812, Porter 
captured the British sloop Alert after a single broadside. In the 
same year, cruising in the Pacific, he captured about $2,500,000 
worth of property and hundreds of seamen. In 1814 he was 
brought face to face with two British men-of-war, the Phoebe and 
the Cherub, out from the port of Valparaiso, South America. A 
desperate battle followed in which two-thirds of the American 
crew were killed or rendered helpless, and Porter was compelled 
to surrender. 

Porter's operations and his capture are well described by this 
story. 

Midshipman Farragut. 1897. James Barnes 

David Farragut entered the navy as midshipman at the age of 
nine. He served in the war of 181 2, in the Mexican War and 
rendered great service in the Civil War. He was midshipman 
under David Porter in the Essex and witnessed the great doings 
of that commander, which, no doubt, had much to do with his 
own successes at a later period. As a mere boy he became accus- 
tomed to great and bloody deeds of warfare on the sea. 

These early experiences of this great commander make a tell- 
ing story as they are set forth by Barnes in this narrative. 

Jack and His Island. 1902. Lucy M. Thurston 

This story deals with the unsuccessful attack on Baltimore. 
Leaving Washington after burning the Capitol the British fleet 
came to Fort Henry which guarded Baltimore. This they bom- 
barded for two days. The American fortifications were able to 
withstand the attack and the fleet withdrew, passing on to New 
Orleans. 

Out of the thunder and smoke of this battle came one of the 
cherished things of our national interests. The following is a 
good statement of the incident: "On the day before the battle 
Francis Scott Key, a Baltimore gentleman, visited the British fleet 
in the harbor to arrange for an exchange of prisoners. He was 
not permitted to leave for home during the bombardment, which 
lasted throughout the whole night. From the deck of one of the 



THE MODERN ERA 541 

vessels he watched anxiously, hour after hour, fearing that the flag 
of Fort Henry might be hauled down in token of surrender. His 
great joy at seeing at intervals by the glare of rockets and flash 
of cannon the 'Stars and Stripes' still floating triumphantly at the 
dawn of the new day, was expressed in a thrilling song, 'The Star- 
Spangled Banner/ which he quickly wrote on the back of a letter. 
A few hours later it was sung in public by an actor in the city. 
Within a few weeks Americans everywhere were familiar with 
the verses, and Key had become a national celebrity." How real- 
istically the scene is painted, and how much the words in that 
moment meant to Key : 

"And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, 
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there." 

George W. Cable has given us in "The Cavalier," the "Star- 
Spangled Banner Scene," that the reader will find interesting. 

A Herald of the West. 1898. Joseph A. Altsheler 

The hero in this story figures in two great engagements, the 
first when Washington was taken and the Capitol and White 
House were burned. At this time Mrs. Madison made her escape 
and saved the silverware and other valuables. The second engage- 
ment was the battle of New Orleans, to which the English fleet 
sailed. By taking the city the British expected to control the Mis- 
sissippi. The defences were under the command of Andrew Jack- 
son, who was a famous Indian fighter. His 5,000 volunteers clad 
in leather were from the backwoods, and while they had no mili- 
tary training, they were expert hunters and could hit the mark. 
On January 8, 181 5, the British advanced. "J ac kson and his 
sharpshooters quietly arranged themselves behind their hastily 
built fortifications of earth and logs. They knew no fear; every 
man of them was as cool as if at a target match in his own frontier 
town, and fired only when he had selected a redcoat as a victim. 
Under this unerring aim the British general fell dead, and over 
two thousand of his brave men were either killed or wounded, 
while the American loss was only twenty-one." The news of this 
brilliant victory spread through the country, and Andrew Jackson 
became known to every soul in the land. 



542 HISTORICAL FICTION 

One remarkable thing about this battle is the fact that a treaty 
between the two nations was signed at Ghent in Belgium nearly 
two weeks before this battle was fought, which was not known 
by Jackson or the British. It took news considerable time in that 
day to travel such a distance. In this treaty nothing was said 
about the real causes of the war. During this period Great Britain 
was greatly handicapped in the matter of supplying men, as also 
in sending the best of her navy to America, as she was righting 
Napoleon, sinking his fleets, keeping him out of England and 
bringing his empire to ruins. 

A Romance of Arlington House. 1907. Sarah A. Reed 

One of the interesting facts of this novel is the coming of 
Lafayette to America in 1824 at the close of Madison's presidency. 
In 1777 he fitted out a vessel for himself and came to this country 
and was warmly received by Washington and the army. He was 
made a member of Washington's staff. He was wounded at 
Brandywine, and aided in the defeat of Cornwallis at Yorktown. 
In returning to the United States he was received with great en- 
thusiasm. Congress voted him $200,000 and a township of land. 



CHAPTER III 

FROM THE WAR OF 1812 TO THE CIVIL WAR 

From the second great war of our history certain benefits 
accrued to the nation. The Republic came to realize that it was 
capable of defending itself and could with confidence assert its 
rights. Another result was that in being deprived by war of 
those things that had come from Europe we were placed under 
the necessity of producing them ourselves, and consequently of 
creating industries and developing our own resources. Again, 
the war greatly stimulated national pride. We had emerged from 
the war with great victories to our credit. "Men now saw that 
the Union had ceased to be an experiment. It had grown to be 
a strong and enduring nation." 

Another important result of the war was the tariff of 1816. 
This was the first protective tariff. When commerce was re- 
opened with Europe vast quantities of goods came from those 
countries where labor was much cheaper and undersold American 
products. Manufacturers at once realized that some measure 
must be adopted if home products were to be made and sold, as 
it was impossible to compete with foreign prices. The measure 
was the tariff of 1816, which protected American industries by 
placing upon foreign goods much higher duties. These are some 
of the conditions under which we now began a new era in our 
national development. 

Administration of James Monroe 

This administration (1817-1825) is known as the "Era of 
Good Feeling." There were no political contests between parties. 
Monroe was unanimously elected. During his presidency oc- 
curred the Seminole War, boundary disputes, the Missouri Com- 
promises, the tariff of 1822, the rise of new parties. One of the 
most important acts was the Monroe Doctrine. In his annual 
message in 1823 the President announced that no new European 
colonies should be planted in America, and that the United States 

543 



544 HISTORICAL FICTION 

would not "view with indifference" an attempt by any European 
power to reduce "an independent nation of North or South Amer- 
ica to the condition of a colony." 

The Stories 
A Captain of Irregulars. 1899. Herbert Hayens 

The three following stories deal with the happenings in South 
American States during this period. Until the beginning of the 
nineteenth century Spain and Portugal had almost entire control 
of this continent. In 1810 these colonies declared their independ- 
ence. Chile was successful in her revolt and with the assistance 
of General San Martin gained her independence. This was pro- 
claimed in 18 18, and was recognized by a treaty with Spain in 
1844. 

In this story, which gives the struggle of Chile for independ- 
ence, Jose De San Martin figures largely. He was born in Argen- 
tina, but was educated in Spain and distinguished himself in the 
war against France. In 181 5 he organized an expedition for the 
liberation of Chile. Early in 1817 he gained a brilliant victory 
at Chacabuco and was then given supreme command of the forces. 
In 1 818 he achieved another great victory at Maipo. He then 
organized the government of Chile. 

This revolution, under the strong direction of San Martin, 
the struggle with Spanish troops, and the crowning victory at 
Maipo are fully described in this story. 

In the Grip of the Spaniard. 1898. Herbert Hayens 

Simon Bolivar (1783-1830), after studying law in Madrid, 
returned to South America in 1809 and became a leader in the 
struggle for independence. He was the most prominent man en- 
gaged in the liberty of Venezuela, New Granada, Peru and 
Bolivia, and in bringing these states from under Spanish rule. 
In 1819, when New Granada and Venezuela were combined into 
a republic under the name of Columbia, Bolivar was made presi- 
dent. He formulated the constitution of Bolivia, and his enemies 
at once concluded that his design was to make himself dictator 
over Columbia. 



THE MODERN ERA 545 

This story describes the services rendered by Bolivar in the 
interests of Venezuelan independence ; also the part taken in the 
struggle by Jose Antonio Paez, one of the leading spirits in South 
American independence. He was a native of Venezuela. In 1810 
he entered the patriot army, and in 1819 was a general of a divi- 
sion and took a vital part in the battle of Carabobo, by which the 
independence of Columbia was secured in 1821. He was placed 
at the head of the revolution terminating in the independence of 
Venezuela, which chose him as its first president. This story 
traces these developments to the battle of Carabobo, in which 
English sympathies materially aided the Venezuelans in gaining 
their freedom. 



With Cochrane the Dauntless. 1897. George A. Henty 

The labors of Thomas Cochrane, Tenth Earl of Dundonald 
(1775-1860), in behalf of the independence of Brazil, Chile and 
Peru are well presented by this story. Cochrane was a Scotch- 
man, and at the age of eighteen showed so much gallantry on 
board his uncle's ship that, at the age of twenty-five, he was 
placed in command of a ship. He rendered brilliant service 
against the French, but when in 1809 he failed in his gallant at- 
tempt to destroy the French fleet off Brest he was put upon half 
pay. Prior to this time, as a member of Parliament he became 
unpopular by exposing certain abuses that existed in the navy. 
In 1817 he took service in the navy of Chile, Brazil and Peru in 
securing their independence. This was followed by service in the 
Greek navy. In 1832 he returned to England and was made a 
rear-admiral. 

Administration of Andrew Jackson 

The hero of New Orleans was elected twice to the presidency 
(1829-1837). His election marks an important epoch in Amer- 
ican political history, as he was the first representative of the 
"common people." It was the triumph of the Democratic party. 
Jackson was pre-eminently a man of the people. He differed 
from the former presidents in that they were men of education, 
whereas he had very little. He had no training in statesman- 
ship, "but he was honest, fearless, and truly representative of the 
new democratic principles." 



546 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The Stories 
She Loved a Sailor. 1899. Amelia E. Barr 

This is a story of Jackson's administration which gave the 
spirit of democracy a great impulse throughout the country. The 
removal of public officials upon the ground of political affilia- 
tions was the first important event of his presidency. He main- 
tained the doctrine of the distribution of offices as rewards, or 
the "spoils system." He vetoed the United States Bank charter 
and crushed the nullification movement in South Carolina. "South 
Carolina, by this act, put into practice the doctrine of 'states 
rights,' assumed the right to nullify acts of Congress, and threat- 
ened to secede if the United States government tried to enforce 
these acts." 

It was during his administration that the question of slavery 
first entered politics as a distinctive factor. In the early part of 
his presidency the Black Hawk War (1832) occurred. 

The Mormon Prophet. 1899. Lily Dougall 

Joseph Smith (1805-1844) was the founder of the Mormon 
sect, or the Church of the Latter Day Saints. When 22 years of 
age he declared that an angel had disclosed to him in a vision the 
place where the Bible of the western continent had been buried. 
He declared, that in following the instructions of the angel there 
was given him the volume on which the doctrines of Mormonism 
are founded. In 1844 ne was placed in jail at Carthage, 111., 
charged with violations of the law and was there shot by a mob. 

The "Book of Mormon," which Smith declared was placed 
in his hands by the angel, consisted of plates about eight inches 
long by seven inches wide, about the thickness of tin and bound 
together by three golden rings. It was about six inches thick. 
The letters were beautifully engraved. The language of the book 
was called by Smith "Reformed Egyptian." Smith translated the 
plates by means of the Urim and Thummin of Scripture, which 
he declared accompanied the plates, and the Book of Mormon was 
issued in 1830. Others claimed to have seen the original plates 
through angelic ministrations, the plates being later returned 
to the angel. 

The new sect was persecuted from the time of its inception. 



THE MODERN ERA 547 

They founded the city of Nauvoo in Illinois. Here the editor of 
a newspaper threatened to expose Smith's immoral practices, and 
the Mormons destroyed his establishment. This brought about 
the disturbance that resulted in Smith's death. The Mormons 
then, under Brigham Young, established themselves in Salt Lake 
City, Utah. 

This Canadian novelist (1858-) was born in Montreal. She 
completed her education at the two Scottish Universities, Edin- 
burgh and St. Andrews. A considerable portion of her time was 
spent at Melbourne in Derbyshire, England. Much of her writ- 
ing is on Canadian subjects. 

This story gives the character of Joseph Smith and his claims, 
and sets forth the founding and history of the Mormon Church. 

Remember the Alamo. 1888. Amelia E. Barr 

In the War for Texan Independence in 1836, the Catholic mis- 
sion Alamo, at San Antonio, Texas, was celebrated for the battle 
fought here. The mission was built of stone and' was surrounded 
by a wall two feet thick and eight feet high. Within this place was 
a company of 180 Texans and Americans under Colonel Travis. 
It was besieged by Santa Anna, the leader of the Mexicans. The 
latter came upon them so suddenly that there was little oppor- 
tunity to secure food and ammunition. For seven days they held 
out against the siege. Artillery was then brought up against the 
place, and it was captured. The few Texans who survived the 
fight were nearly all killed in cold blood. This barbarity so 
aroused the Texans that for the remainder of the war their battle 
cry was "Remember the Alamo." 

This explains the title of this story, which sets forth this 
rising against Mexico, the leading incident of which is the taking 
of the Alamo. David Crockett is one of the prominent figures. 
He was a celebrated frontiersman and politician. He served 
under Andrew Jackson against the Creek Indians, and was three 
times elected to Congress. He then took up arms in support of 
Texas in its war for independence against Mexico. He was one 
of the six survivors when the walls of the Alamo were broken 
down who were massacred by the Mexicans. Santa Anna is con- 
spicuous in the story, also Sam Houston, who also served under 



543 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Andrew Jackson. He became the commander in chief of the 
Texan forces and defeated Santa Anna in the battle of San 
Jacinto, which secured the independence of Texas. 

Other stories : 

For the Liberty of Texas (1909), by Edward Stratemeyer, 
setting forth the deeds of David Crockett, San Houston and other 
leaders of the war, and the battle of Alamo. 

Margaret Ballentine (1907), by Frank Templeton, dealing 
with this struggle and Alamo. 

Administration of Martin Van Buren 

This administration (1837-1841) was darkened by a financial 
panic that swept over the country in 1837. Money became scarce 
and credits stopped. The cotton failure in New Orleans had 
considerable to do with it. "The banks with $38,000,000 in coin 
could not meet an issue of $525,000,000 in notes. The 'pet' banks 
suspended, revealing great defalcation of public money. The 
people, the states, and the federal government were bankrupt." 
The larger part of the Seminole War falls in this period. 

The Stories 

Through Swamp and Glade. 1896. Kirk Monroe 

In the last years of Jackson's administration occurred the 
Seminole War. The Seminole was a tribe of the Creek Indians 
settled in Florida. They struggled desperately to hold their terri- 
tory, and to prevent their removal beyond the Mississippi. This 
was effected by a terrible war that lasted for seven years (1835- 
1842). The war cost the United States $10,000,000 and 2,000 
lives. The tribe was then placed in the Indian Territory. 

This story relates to this struggle and the ultimate defeat of 
the Indians. 

The Blithedale Romance. 1852. Nathaniel Hawthorne 

The author (1804- 1864), the foremost of American writers 
of fiction, was born at Salem, Mass. When a boy he spent much 
time in solitude. A student of Bowdoin College, he had as fellow- 
Students Longfellow and Franklin Pierce. He did not distinguish 



THE MODERN ERA 549 

himself as a scholar, and graduated at the age of twenty-one. 
When his friend Pierce was elected president he was appointed 
to the consulship at Liverpool. He then spent some time in Rome 
and Florence. The history of literature does not furnish a genius 
more original than that of this author. His romances "are the 
production and revelation of his inmost life. His was a secluded 
spirit that lived in itself. With a brooding mind, he was silent, 
absorbed in the birth and growth of his own thoughts and fancies. " 
In 1836 a Transcendental Club was founded by George Ripley, 
and the School of Transcendentalism was the result. Margaret 
Fuller (1810-1850) was a brilliant conversationalist and attracted 
the notice of eminent men in New England. She became closely 
related with the Transcendentalists and interested in the Brook 
Farm. This was a socialistic community founded in West Rox- 
bury, 1841. Among its members were some of the most dis- 
tinguished Americans, such as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph 
Waldo Emerson, George W. Curtis. It was a co-operative system 
which required of each member a certain amount of work, the 
products of all labor being turned into a common stock in which 
all shared equally. 

The Blithedale Romance is a thinly disguised account of Haw- 
thorne's experiences at Brook Farm. In this story Hollingsworth 
is the leading spirit in the community. He is a strong man, both 
physically and mentally. He is greatly loved by the gentle Pris- 
cilla and the passionate Zenobia. Priscilla, the pretty seamstress, 
is of that fragile type that appeals strongly to her two lovers, 
Miles Coverdale and John Hollingsworth. She attracts them as 
Zenobia with all of her charm fails to do, and is brought wholly 
under the spell of the strong Hollingsworth. 

Zenobia is a beautiful, brilliant woman. This character may 
have been suggested to the author, to some extent, by Margaret 
Fuller, who spent some time at the farm while Hawthorne was 
there. Her love for Hollingsworth is hopeless as he is in love 
with Priscilla, and Zenobia drowns herself. "There are few 
scenes in literature more realistic than the finding of Zenobia's 
body, in the dead of night, drawn from the dark stream, a crooked, 
stiff shape, and carried to the farm-house, where old women in 
nightcaps jabber over it." The finding of Zenobia's body "is the 
description of an actual occurrence in which Hawthorne partici- 



550 HISTORICAL FICTION 

pated in July, 1843. He accompanied a man to search for the 
body of a girl who had drowned herself and the incidents appear in 
this scene in the romance unaltered." 

Administration of James K. Polk 

During his presidency (1845-1849) the Sub-Treasury System 
was established, and in its main features is still the method of han- 
dling government funds. The tariff of 1846, for revenue only, 
remained in force until 1861. The Oregon country dispute be- 
tween the United States and Great Britain created a heated dis- 
cussion. The political watchwords of 1844 were "The whole 01 
Oregon or none," and "Fifty-four forty or fight." During this 
period occurred : 

The Mexican War 

The cause of the war was the boundary line of Texas, but 
back of that, or involved in that, was the question of slavery. 
Texas, when a Mexican state, was bounded by the Nueces River, 
but when admitted to the Union it declared that the Rio Grande 
was the boundary line, which claim was supported by the United 
States. General Taylor was ordered by Polk to take possession 
of the disputed territory. He marched to Fort Brown on the 
Rio Grande. A small American force was captured by the Mex- 
icans, and Polk declared that by the act of Mexico a state of war 
existed, and 50,000 volunteers were at once sent to the front. 

The Stories 

Captain Courtesy. 1906. Edward C. Carpenter 

Americans in California, which was owned by Mexico, formed 
a little republic of their own in 1846. It was known as the "Bear 
State," because bn its flag was the picture of a grizzly bear. It 
contained a star and the words, "California Republic." The 
grizzly bear was at that time common in the Rockies, and it may 
be that it was emblematic of resistance. 

Fremont was exploring in that section at this time, and when 
trouble with Mexico arose this little republic appealed to him for 
assistance. He came with a strong exploring party and subdued 
the Mexicans in several skirmishes. He raised the flag of the 
United States instead of the flag of California, and joined Com- 



THE MODERN ERA 551 

modore Robert Stockton, who was in command of the Pacific 
squadron and had taken San Diego in a movement against Los 
Angeles, which was easily captured. Later Colonel Stephen W. 
Kearney arrived and defeated the Mexicans in the decisive battle 
of San Gabriel, which settled the question of United States 
authority over that section. 

These events in California, the boundary disputes, the out- 
rages of Mexicans, the operations of Fremont, Kearney and 
Stockton and the final defeat of the Mexicans in California are 
set forth in this story. 

Fighting with Fremont. 1911. Everett McNeil 

General Zachary Taylor was ordered to cross the Nueces 
River and proceed to the Rio Grande. A force of 6,000 Mexicans 
had crossed the latter and secured a strong position at Palo Alto, 
which was in Taylor's pathway. At this point the opposing forces 
met, and after fighting five hours the Mexicans were driven from 
the field, having lost 100 men. They fell back upon Resaca de la 
Palma. Getting their artillery well placed, they poured grape-shot 
into the advancing Americans. The latter charged, took the bat- 
teries and captured General La Vega. The Mexicans fled in the 
greatest disorder. 

These facts relating to these two engagements figure in this 
story, while the work of Fremont and his armed forced of ex- 
plorers is especially set forth. 

The Quest of the Four. 1911. Joseph A. Altsheler 

After crippling the Mexican at Monterey, Taylor learned that 
the Mexican general, Santa Anna, had assembled 20,000 men and 
was on his way to crush him. Establishing his position at Buena 
Vista he awaited the arrival of the Mexicans. With his army 
between two mountains, the Mexicans dashed forward and cap- 
tured some of Taylor's batteries, but Bragg and Jefferson Davis 
cut them to pieces on the flank. This was the best fought battle of 
the war. The Mexicans withdrew, leaving their wounded on the 
field. 



552 HISTORICAL FICTION 

This great engagement, so brilliantly conducted by the Amer- 
icans, is described in this story. It sets forth the experiences of 
four companions who get into Mexico and participate in this 
battle. 

General Winfield Scott finally assumed command of the 
American forces. Storming the pass of Cerro Gordo he drove 
the Mexicans before him, defeating them with greatly inferior 
numbers. He won a brilliant victory at Molino del Rey, stormed 
the heights of Chapultepec, and then entered the Mexican capital 
in triumph. The war was ended. The boundary line was fixed 
by the provisions of the treaty, and New Mexico and California 
were added to United States territory. "The most remarkable 
feature of the contest was the training which it furnished to young 
officers who later played conspicuous parts in the great Civil 
War." Among these were U. S. Grant, George G. Meade, Robert 
E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, Stonewall Jackson, George B. McClellan. 
It also brought Zachary Taylor to the presidency. 

Fifty-four Forty or Fight. 1900. Emerson Hough 

This story deals with the dispute that arose between Great 
Britain and the United States regarding the Oregon boundary 
line. The demand of the Americans was, "The whole of Oregon 
or none," or "Fifty-four forty or fight." The treaty of 1846 
with England fixed our northern boundary line at the forty-ninth 
parallel 

Administration of Zachary Taylor 

On the strength of his war record, General Taylor was elected 
president. One of his daughters was the wife of Jefferson Davis, 
afterwards President of the Southern Confederacy. In the second 
year of his presidency Taylor died and Millard Fillmore acted as 
president for the remainder of the term. The question of slavery 
was now brought strongly to the front. "The admission of Cali- 
fornia meant the upsetting of the balance of power between the 
free and slave states, and permanent superiority of the North in 
the Senate. The North wished California admitted as a free soil 
state, and insisted that slavery be abolished in the District of 
Columbia. The Free Soil Party demanded that there should be 
no more slave states or territories. The South opposed Cali- 



THE MODERN ERA 553 

f ornia's admission as a free state and complained that the existing 
fugitive slave law was not enforced." 

To meet these serious situations Henry Clay submitted his 
compromises, especially that of 1850, his third great compromise, 
the concessions of which largely favored the South. John Cal- 
houn delivered his speech favoring secession. Daniel Webster 
delivered his speech favoring the compromises so as to avoid 
secession. William Seward's speech denounced all compromise 
with slavery "and appealed to a higher law than civil authority." 
In the end his position proved to be the right one. 

The Stories 
The Issue. 1904. George Morgan 

The existing conditions under slavery are depicted by this 
story. The issue is the great question now coming steadily and 
strongly to the fore, and refused to be settled until it was settled 
right. 

Uncle Tom's Cabin. 1852. Harriet Beecher Stowe 

The author (1812-1896) was born at Litchfield, Conn., the 
daughter of Rev. Lyman Beecher, and sister of the eloquent 
preacher, Henry Ward Beecher. She married Rev. Calvin E. 
Stowe of Cincinnati. Uncle Tom's Cabin was published in 1852 
and "had perhaps a greater influence than any other piece of fic- 
tion ever written, and was translated into more than twenty lan- 
guages and had an unprecedented sale." This influence has been 
greatly supplemented by the dramatizing of the story. This 
exposure of the cruelties of slavery was a mighty instrument, an 
undeniable factor, in the emancipation of the negro. In 1863, the 
year of the Emancipation Proclamation, she visited the White 
House. President Lincoln took her hand and said, "Is this the 
little woman who brought on so great a war?" The story is a 
terrible indictment against the institution of slavery. One week 
after the book appeared 10,000 copies were sold, and in less than 
a year the sale had reached 300,000 copies. While Mrs. Stowe is 
the author of about forty other stories, it is by this story she will 
always be best known. 



554 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The hero, Uncle Tom, exemplifies in a high degree the Chris- 
tian virtues. He is strong physically and he rests his conduct 
upon the teachings of the Bible, which he carries with him. "He 
represents in his person the only well-authenticated instance we 
know, in modern times, of that laudable principle in virtue of 
which a man presents his left cheek to be smitten after the first 
has been slapped." 

Topsy, filled to overflowing with the spirit of mischief, lies 
and loves to lie for the sake of lying. When she became a Chris- 
tian these native traits disappear, and she ceases to be her original 
self. 

George Harris and his wife Eliza are slaves. When the latter 
is sold to another slave-owner they make their escape, her escape 
a thrilling one indeed, and at last join each other in free Canada. 
George has quite an inventive turn of mind as is evidenced by his 
hemp-cleaning machine. 

Little Eva is the daughter of St. Clare, Uncle Tom's owner. 
She is the mistress and also the friend of Topsy. Her sickness, 
Uncle Tom's supreme devotion to the little saint, and her death, 
is one of the most touching scenes in the story. She talked to 
Uncle Tom as she could not talk to her father, "of these myste- 
rious intimations which the soul feels ere it leaves its clay for- 
ever." Tom lay all night on the veranda as her life ebbed out, 
"and at midnight came the message. Earth was passed and 
earthly pain; so solemn was the triumphant brightness of that 
face it checked even the sobs of sorrow. A glorious smile, and 
she said brokenly, 'Oh — love — joy — peace' and passed from death 
unto life." 

It is George Shelby who is present at the death of Torii and 
hears his last words of Christian triumph. As he kneels by the 
grave of his old friend, he says, "Witness, eternal God, Oh witness 
that, from this hour, I will do what one man can to drive out the 
curse of slavery from my land!" 

Administration of James Buchanan 

This administration (1857-1861) carries us to the opening of 
the Civil War. During this time occurred the famous Lincoln- 
Douglas debates, the Dred Scott Decision, John Brown's Raid, 



THE MODERN ERA 555 

and in the campaign of i860 Abraham Lincoln was elected Presi- 
dent. 

The importance of the Abolition Party may be said to date 
from the work of William Lloyd Garrison and the formation of 
the Anti-slavery Society in 1833. Garrison and his adherents 
went so far as to advocate abolition even if it required disunion. 
Among those who favored the radical views of that faction of 
the Society and who supported Garrison, were Wendell Phillips 
and John G. Whittier. 

The Stories 
Diane. 1905. Katharine H. Brown 

The Ordinance of 1787, bearing on the Fugitive Slave Laws, 
and the Constitution, specified that slaves escaping into a free state 
should be delivered to their owners. The method used to enable 
slaves to escape was called the "Underground Railroad." It was 
well organized. Certain routes were used, and "stations," certain 
houses at convenient points, were employed. Northerners friendly 
to the escaping negroes would conduct them from one of these 
stations to the next, where they were fed and cared for. "The 
most common routes were through Ohio and Pennsylvania, the 
goal of each being Canada. Among the prominent promoters of 
these enterprises were Gerrit Smith, Theodore Parker, and Levi 
Coffin. It is believed that fully 25,000 negroes were thus given 
liberty during the quarter century preceding the Civil War." 

In this story these instances of fugitive slaves escaping from 
their masters are portrayed. The abolitionists also figure in the 
story, and one of them, John Brown, in particular. He is cele- 
brated as the originator of the Harper's Ferry insurrection. He 
was seized with the idea of abolishing slavery by having the slaves 
rise in revolt. His plan of procedure was to capture the arsenal 
of Harper's Ferry, containing a large supply of arms, and thus 
arm the slaves for their uprising. In October, 1859, accompanied 
by eighteen followers, he seized the arsenal, but no negroes ap- 
peared. Ten of his followers were killed, four escaped and Brown 
and the other four were captured. Brown was tried for treason 
and hanged, which action was condemned throughout the North. 



556 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Other stories : 

Time and Chance (1901), by Elbert Hubbard, in which Brown 
appears. 

The Purchase Price (1910), by Emerson Hough, dealing with 
the slavery issue. 

"The Burial of John Brown," by Wendell Phillips, may be read 
in this connection. 



CHAPTER IV 

THE CIVIL WAR 

Administration of Abraham Lincoln 

The secession of the Southern States was grounded in the 
doctrine of State Sovereignty, and secession was the immediate 
cause of the war. The institution of slavery was the cause of 
secession. Thus the three things closely related in ascertaining 
the cause or causes of the Civil War were — State Sovereignty, 
Secession, Slavery. In i860 South Carolina passed her secession 
ordinance, and declared that her right to secede was grounded in 
state sovereignty, and was not a violation of the Constitution. 

Based upon this claim, the reasons for secession were, that 
the North was determined to check and abolish slavery ; rejected 
the doctrine of state rights ; misinterpreted the Constitution ; in- 
sisted that no more slave states should be admitted, and was at- 
tempting to surround the South with free states ; the election of 
Lincoln was an expression of the attitude of the North to the 
South, and a direct attack upon the institution of slavery. It is 
sometimes overlooked that the purpose of the Republican Party 
was not the abolition of slavery in the states where that institution 
was already established, but to prevent its spread into the terri- 
tories. 

So intimately were state rights, secession, and slavery related 
that a war to save the Union and the uprooting of secession would 
in the nature of the case destroy the doctrine of state rights as 
interpreted by the South and abolish slavery, the basic cause of 
the whole disturbance. The Revolutionary War achieved inde- 
pendence and union, the creation of a nation consisting of many 
states and united by one central government. It was the Civil 
War that defended and preserved the Union, the decisive ending 
of a long conflict and the establishment of the supremacy of the 
Nation over State governments. 

From the standpoint of the principles in which our national 
life was born, "American slavery was the flat contradiction of 

557 



558 HISTORICAL FICTION 

American liberty. For the latter was the liberty of man as man, 
and hence of all men ; while the former was the holding by law of 
millions of men as property, and thus depriving them of their 
liberty and of their natural and inalienable rights. Liberty was 
the positive vital principle of the nation and of the government, 
and salvery was its denial." All of which is in accord with the 
great truth uttered by Abraham Lincoln during the campaign 
when he said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand. I 
believe this Government cannot permanently endure half slave 
and half free. I do not expect the house to fall, but I do expect it 
will cease to be divided." 

To the Capture of Vicksburg 

The firing upon Fort Sumter, April 12, 1861, by the Confeder- 
ates opened the Civil War. The forts and arsenals were at once 
seized by the South. The first military movement of the war took 
place in the western part of Virginia, from which section the Con- 
federates were driven by General McClellan. 

The Stories 

With Lee in Virginia. 1889. George A. Henty 

General Irving McDowell began a campaign for the capture 
of Virginia. Richmond was the Confederate capital. Bull Run 
is a small stream thirty miles from Washington. Along the banks 
of this stream was fought the first real battle of the war. The 
untrained Northern soldiers were driven in confusion from the 
field by the Southern troops under experienced officers. It was in 
this battle that General Thomas Jackson won his famous sobri- 
quet "Stonewall" Jackson. While urging his men to a charge a 
Confederate officer pointed to him and said, "There is Jackson 
standing like a stonewall." He was one of the greatest of the 
Confederate commanders. 

In this story the movements of the Northern army in Virginia 
are described, and the defeat of the army under McDowell at 
Bull Run. The hero is in the Southern army. The Confederates 
made over the old Merrimac, covered with sheet iron so that it 
resembled the roof of a barn floating on the water. Two of the 
best vessels of the Northern fleet were destroyed by her ram. 



THE MODERN ERA 559 

She finally encountered the Monitor, its flat iron surface almost 
level with the water and carrying an iron turret resembling a 
cheese-box from which she poured forth her volleys. This famous 
and unusual battle figures in this story, which carries the history 
forward through the fighting of 1862, in which in the second bat- 
tle of Bull Run, the Confederates were again victorious, and 
also at Fredericksburg, December 13, when the Federals attacked 
a strong Confederate position and suffered a great slaughter, and 
so on down through the movements of the war. 

Traitor or Loyalist. 1904. Henry K. Webster 

In our studies in English history of this period the reader will 
remember the manner in which the English suffered for want 
of cotton which was purchased from our Southern states, and 
how industries there were paralyzed because of the Union block- 
ade making it almost impossible for any cotton to be shipped. 
Consternation spread on both sides of the water. The blockade- 
runners managed from time to time to break through with car- 
goes of cotton. 

This story deals with these conditions, and the vital interests 
of the people engaged in the cotton trade. The blockade caused 
the greatest damage done to the South. 

Other stories : 

The Young Blockaders (1910) by E. T. Tomlinson. 

Debenham's Vow (1870) by Amelia A. Edwards, in which 
running the blockade is well presented. 

The Captain. 1903. Churchill Williams 

After capturing Fort Henry, General U. S. Grant marched 
up the valley of the Cumberland and attacked Fort Donelson. 
When he was asked what terms he would give he replied, "No 
terms except unconditional and immediate surrender. I propose 
to move immediately upon your works." Following this capture 
he returned to the Tennessee River and fought and won the terri- 
ble battle of Shiloh. The losses on both sides shocked the coun- 
try. By the close of 1862 the Federal army and navy were in 
possession of the Mississippi above Vicksburg, Miss., and from 
Port Hudson, La., to the sea. 



560 HISTORICAL FICTION 

These operations of Grant, that did so much for the Federal 
cause, are set forth in this story. The great successes of this gen- 
eral paved the way for the next great objective point. 



The Heart of Hope. 1905. Norval Richardson 

This story deals with the siege and fall of Vicksburg, the ob- 
jective point just referred to. This was the strongest fortress 
upon the Mississippi and was called the "Gibralter of the Confed- 
eracy." In the spring of 1863 Grant and Sherman began opera- 
tions for its capture. Their force consisted of 75,000 men with 
a fleet of ironclad gunboats. Shells were poured into the fortifi- 
cations steadily for weeks, and by June the town was in an awful 
state of ruination. Their supplies gone, the people lived on horses 
and mules, cats and dogs. Unable to hold out longer, on July 4, 
Vicksburg capitulated, the day following the great Union victory 
at Gettysburg. Port Hudson then fell to Grant and the Missis- 
sippi was un<Jer Union control. The Confederacy was split in 
twain. 

The Long Roll. 1911. Mary Johnston 

At the opening of the year 1863 Abraham Lincoln issued the 
Emancipation Proclamation, the provision of which, the freeing 
of slaves, would be in force on New Year's Day. The original 
draft of this document in Lincoln's own handwriting was secured 
by the Chicago Historical Society, and was destroyed in the 
Chicago fire in 1871. 

While Grant was bombarding Vicksburg, Lee was fighting 
General J. Hooker in the East. They met in the great battle of 
Chancellorsville in which Lee was victorious. A gloom fell over 
the Confederate army, however, in the death of one of their 
greatest generals, Stonewall Jackson. It has been supposed that 
he was shot by accident by one of his own men. This battle was 
fought two months prior to the fall of Vicksburg. 

The central figure in this story is Stonewall Jackson. It traces 
the operations of this campaign to this battle and the death of 
Jackson, and is handled from the Confederate standpoint. 



THE MODERN ERA 561 

In Circling Camps. 1900. Joseph A. Altsheler 

When Lee defeated Hooker at Chancellorsville the tide of the 
Confederacy was at its height. Taking advantage of this success 
his plan was to invade the North, and with an army of 75,000 he 
crossed the Potomac and laid his course for Philadelphia. In his 
pathway, however, lay Gettysburg and here too was General 
Meade who had succeeded Hooker as head of the army of the 
Potomac. Then followed the three days battle, the most deadly 
of the war. The hopes of the South were never brighter than on 
July I, but on July 3, just as Grant had worn Vicksburg to the 
point of surrender, which came July 4, these hopes were crushed. 
With the loss of over one-third of his army Lee was hurled back 
into Virginia and never again attempted to cross the Mason and 
Dixon line to invade the North. 

This story delineates these mighty conflicts of the war in its 
description of the battle of Shiloh with all of its horrors, and the 
still more deadly battle of Gettysburg. The hero participates in 
both battles and portrays the movements of the opposing forces, 
and the desperate attempt to win this point, with the great conse- 
quences involved. 

The General's Double. 1897. General Charles King 

In this story the author follows McClellan's movements and 
gives a strong and stirring representation of the contest at Gettys- 
burg. 

This invasion and the defeat of Lee are also described by C. W. 
Dahlinger in his story Where the Red Volleys Poured (1907). 

The reader is referred to : 
Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. 

From the Fall of Vicksburg to the Capture of Savannah 

The Stories 

The Rock of Chickamauga. 1907. General Charles 

King 

This American soldier and novelist (1844-) was born at 
Albany, N. Y. In 1866 he was graduated at West Point. From 



562 HISTORICAL FICTION 

1882 to 1889 ne was inspector and instructor of the Wisconsin 
National Guard. He rendered military service in the Philippines. 
His stories are largely concerned with military events. 

While the great work of Grant split the Confederacy in two, 
as noted above, the Confederates still held the Tennessee valley 
and the hills among which lies Chattanooga. Here was a Con- 
federate stronghold controlling railroads for the transportation 
of men, food and supplies. It was of the first importance that 
this section be invested by the Federal army. The leader of the 
Southern forces at this point was General Braxton Bragg, and the 
Federal army was under the leadership of Grant, Hooker, Thomas 
and Rosecrans. Bragg was driven out of Chattanooga, and was 
defeated at Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. 

Chickamauga lay twelve miles east of Chattanooga. Here was 
fought one of the fiercest battles of the war. Rosecrans and 
Thomas confronted an army much larger than their own, and 
were severely defeated. So firmly did Thomas stand and cover 
the retreat that he saved the Union army, and thus earned the 
nickname that always stuck to him, "The Rock of Chickamauga." 

This will explain the title of this story, which gives a splendid 
account of the battle, and the manner in which General Thomas 
saved the Union army from a much greater defeat and loss. 

The same events are brought out in a story having the same 
title by Joseph A. Altsheler and as recent as 191 5. 

A Little Union Scout. 1905. Joel C. Harris 

This story relates also to the battle of Chickamauga. The scout 
in the story furnishes a soldier considerable excitement, and then 
proves to be a very fascinating female. 

Before the Dawn. 1903. Joseph A. Altsheler 

In the spring of 1864, Grant organized his Richmond cam- 
paign and began to move his forces toward that city. Before him 
lay what is known as "The Wilderness," a region of sand, south 
and east of the Rapidan River. For days he was attacked by Con- 
federate forces, and only by the most skillful movements did he 
save his army from being defeated. In these engagements there 
was a great loss of life. 



THE MODERN ERA 563 

This story is an excellent description of these fierce contests 
while passing through 'The Wilderness" and traces the cam- 
paign to the capture of Richmond. It contains an interesting 
romance of the hero, who is a Confederate officer at Richmond, 
and is captured by a woman acting as a spy for the Federal cause. 

Roland Blake. 1886. S. Weir Mitchell 

This American author and man of letters (1829-1914) was 
also a distinguished neurologist. He was born in Philadelphia and 
studied at the University of Pennsylvania and the Jefferson Med- 
ical College of Philadelphia. He achieved distinction as a special- 
ist in nervous diseases, and perhaps is best known by his system 
of Rest Treatment that has been so widely adopted. During the 
Civil War he gave attention to fiction. 

Leaving the Wilderness and drawing near to Richmond, Grant 
encountered some of the most stubborn and bloody engagements 
of the war. For ten days he fought the Confederate army at 
Spottsylvania Court House. The battle was indecisive and both 
sides sustained terrific losses, but Grant declared, "I propose to 
fight it out on this line if it takes all summer." 

This story traces Grant's movements, as also other engage- 
ments of the war, and presents this great battle in the march on 
Richmond. 

On the Old Kearsarge. 1909. Cyrus T. Brady 

While Grant was marching to Richmond, following the battle 
of Spottsylvania, an interesting episode was occurring on the 
water. The Alabama was built in England for the Confederacy. 
She destroyed Federal ships and provisions and was the terror 
of merchantmen. She captured sixty-five vessels and destroyed 
property to the value of $4,000,000. Finally, after being hunted 
everywhere, she was compelled to put into the port of Cherbourg 
on the coast of Normandy, June 11, 1864. A few days later the 
Kearsarge, a United States war vessel, entered the same port. 
On June 19, outside of the port they came to battle, and in less 
than an hour the Alabama was sunk. Afterwards the United 
States demanded of Great Britain reparation for the damage done 
by the Alabama. 



^ 



564 HISTORICAL FICTION 

This naval action and the sinking of the Alabama hold an 
important place in this story, which also details other instances of 
naval warfare during the war. 

Cicely. 1911. Sarah B. Kennedy 

Having expelled the Confederate army from all the western 
country north of Georgia, the Union plan now was to send an 
army through the heart of the South from west to east and thus 
in another way divide the Confederacy. Grant had arranged with 
Sherman that he should move southward when Grant entered 
the Wilderness, and this plan was put into execution. In Septem- 
ber, 1864, after an extended and sanguinary campaign, Sherman 
captured Atlanta, the leading manufacturing city of the South, 
destroyed its shops and factories, and thus killed one of the chief 
sources of supply. 

Sherman's aim now was to create "a broad area of destruc- 
tion" rendering it impossible for the Southern troops to secure 
supplies or remain in this section. In his march through Georgia 
to the sea his troops lived on the country, getting supplies from 
farms and towns. In his official report Sherman states the extent 
of their devastation and says, "I estimate that the damage done 
to the State of Georgia and its military resources at $100,000,000." 
The people of that region no doubt agreed with his statement 
that "war is hell." To him it was a war measure calculated to 
shorten the agony of the conflict. 

This story is a splendid delineation of the condition to which 
the South was reduced by the war, and especially as created by 
Sherman's desolating measures. The taking of Atlanta and the 
march to the sea, spreading ruin on all sides, are strikingly set 
forth. 

My Lady of the North. 1904. Randall Parrish 

While Sherman is laying waste to Georgia, Sheridan is doing 
the same thing in the Shenandoah Valley. At Winchester and 
Fisher's Hill he defeated Lee's forces, and then began his work 
of devastation. Mills, barns, residences were destroyed, and the 
valley was so stripped of supplies that Sheridan said that "a crow 
flying over the country would need to carry his rations." 



THE MODERN ERA 565 

This story is a description of Sheridan's operations in the 
Valley, giving the defeat of the Confederate army at Fisher's 
Hill and other engagements. 



The Rock of Chickamauga. 1907. General Charles 

King 

We make an additional use of this story in connection with 
the battle of Nashville. It was now at the closing of the year 
1864, and Hood was striving to save the last hope of the Confed- 
eracy in Tennessee. General Thomas was taking his time which 
fact gave Lincoln great concern for fear that Hood would make 
his escape. His tardiness nearly lost him his command. At last, 
on December 15, he started fighting. The Confederates fought 
with the greatest bravery in a life and death struggle. But it was 
no use. They were surrounded and shattered and finally broke 
and fled. This was one of the most decisive battles of the war, 
as Hood lost practically his whole army. 

This story, which we noted in connection with Chickamauga, 
includes this great engagement at Nashville. From this time the 
task of the Western army was completed. A few posts still held 
out, but the Confederates were utterly incapable of opposing the 
Union strength from the Ohio to the Gulf. 

While Thomas was crushing Hood's army Sherman was tak- 
ing possession of Savannah. His telegram to President Lincoln 
read : "I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savan- 
nah, with 150 heavy guns and plenty of ammunition, and also 
about 25,000 bales of cotton." 

Closing Events of the War 

Following his reelection to the presidency, Lincoln, in his 
inaugural address, March 4, 1865, said, "With malice toward none, 
with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to 
see the right, let us strive to finish the work we are in, to bind up 
the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the 
battle and for his widow and his orphan — to do all which may 
achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and 
with all nations." 



566 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The Stories 
The Carlyles. 1905. Constance C. Harrison 

The devastation of the Southern country by Sherman, and 
the rich Shenandoah Valley by Sheridan cut off all supplies from 
the Confederate troops from those sources. We left Grant at 
Spottsylvania moving on to Richmond. On April i, 1865, he 
battered down the defences of Petersburg. Lee, realizing that 
the end had come, under the cover of darkness retreated west- 
ward. On April 3, the Union flag was floating over Richmond. 
President Lincoln came and brought joy to the camp. 

This story describes the entering of Richmond by Grant and 
his troops when Lee escaped, and the coming of Abraham Lin- 
coln from the Northern to the Southern Capital. 

One thing alone remained to be done — to capture Lee and his 
army. He hoped to make another stand, but Sheridan blocked 
his plans. With 27,000 troops he reached the village of Appo- 
mattox, and unable to fight surrendered to Grant, April 9. All 
feelings of bitterness ceased. Grant would not permit his men to 
engage in any demonstrations because of their triumph. The 
Union soldiers freely shared their food with the "boys in gray." 
The greatest civil war in history had come to an end. 

The Patriots. 1906. Cyrus T. Brady 

This story traces the movements of Grant from Spottsylvania 
to Appomattox, and describes the surrender of Lee. The author 
gives an exceedingly interesting portrait of General Robert E. Lee, 
the commander-in-chief of the Confederate army, and one of 
the most skillful tacticians who participated in the Civil War. 

In less than one week after Lee's surrender, Abraham Lin- 
coln, the idol of the Northern States, and one of the greatest of 
Americans, fell as a martyr to the Union cause at the hand of 
the assassin. Of him, Stanton, his Secretary of War, said, "the 
most perfect ruler of men the world has ever seen." His tragic 
death, coming at the time that it did, only served to distinguish 
more intensely the essential greatness and nobility of his life and 
character. His great work was to save and reestablish the Union, 
"to guide the country safely through the tempestuous scenes of 



THE MODERN ERA 567 

a terrible civil war, and to rid the land of the blighting curse of 
slavery." He continues to live, immortalized, in the thought and 
affection of every true American. 

The reader's attention is directed to the following interesting 
references as bearing upon this section. 

Our Country's Call — Bryant. 

Sheridan's Ride — Thomas Buchanan Read. 

Commemoration Ode — Lowell. 

When Johnny Comes Marching Home — Gilmore. 

On the Life Mask of Abraham Lincoln — Richard Watson 
Gilder. 

Battle-Hymn of the Republic — Inspired by the Civil War — 
Julia Ward Howe. 



PERIOD OF EXPANSION 

CHAPTER I 
TO THE WAR WITH SPAIN 

Following the Civil War the Federal Government was con- 
fronted with the great problem of the reconstruction of the state 
governments of the states that had seceded, and of the basis on 
which to restore them to their place in the national government. 
In his Amnesty Proclamation (1863) Lincoln extended pardon 
to those who would take the oath of allegiance to the Constitution 
and the Emancipation Proclamation and promised "to recognize 
reorganized states again as soon as one tenth of the voters in 
seceded states had taken the oath of allegiance and had organized 
a state government." 

President Johnson's plan of reconstruction consisted of three 
things : repealing the ordinances of secession, repudiation of the 
debts of the Confederacy, ratifying the Thirteenth Amendment. 
Negroes should be compelled to work or be imprisoned. 

Not satisfied with Johnson's plan, Congress went to work on 
a plan of its own. Its Military Reconstruction Act made four 
general provisions : First, the division of the seceding states into 
five districts. Second, that these states, under military authority 
should frame state constitutions. Third, that negroes should be 
given the right both to vote for delegates, and to be represented 
in these conventions. Fourth, that these states be restored 
to representation in Congress on the condition that the Constitu- 
tion be accepted by the people of the state, and that the state leg- 
islature ratified the Fourteenth Amendment, this Amendment 
having been passed by Congress in 1866. By the year 1870 all 
seceding states had been readmitted under these provisions. 

The Stories 
Red Rock. 1898. Thomas N. Page 

This American novelist (1853-) was born on Oakland Plan- 
tation, Va. He was educated at the Washington and Lee Univer- 

568 



THE MODERN ERA 569 

sity and studied law at the University of Virginia. He settled in 
Washington and several universities honored him with degrees. 
In 1913 President Wilson appointed him ambassador to Italy. 
His novels relate almost exclusively to Virginia and "are noted 
for their sympathetic portrayal of the courtly and high spirited 
aristocracy of that State just before and during the Civil War." 
After the enforcement of the Fifteenth Amendment the con- 
ditions in the South became deplorable. A body of Northern 
rascals called "carpet-baggers" (because in that day hand-bags 
were made of carpet, and these men came into the South with 
carpet-bags) by their scheming got control of the negro legisla- 
tors, and instilled in them the idea that their old masters were 
plotting to reduce them again to slavery, and that their only hope 
was to elect as their leaders white ,men from the North. Thus 
influenced, the ignorant negroes complied with these suggestions, 
and the carpet-baggers getting themselves installed in offices, 
together with negro politicians, robbed the State treasuries in 
every possible way. To pay for this looting, taxes were levied 
and the people burdened. 

This story describes these deplorable conditions created by 
these Northern frauds, and the manner in which the carpet-bag- 
gers operated their disreputable schemes. 

The Traitor. 1907. Thomas Dixon 

The state of things noted above created a reaction and the 
white men of the South decided to put a stop to this intolerable 
business. They drove out the carpet-baggers and deprived the 
negro of political power. Another means to this end, which 
finally took on a vicious form, was the large organization called 
the Ku-Klux-Klan. They disguised themselves, and fully armed, 
under the cover of the night would flog and at times kill the negro 
leaders. They drove the carpet-baggers out of the country. A 
reign of anarchy prevailed in the black belt, and finally the na- 
tional authorities took hold of the situation and brought to an 
end the Ku-Klux-Klan. 

This period of the Reconstruction, and this organization to 
put an end to the dastardly plots and schemes of carpet-baggers 
and negro politicians constitute the interest of this story, also 



570 HISTORICAL FICTION 

the other stories by this same author : The Leopard's Spots and 
The Clansman. Belonging to this same period is Bricks Without 
Straw by A. W. Tourgee, setting forth post-slavery conditions 
and problems. 

Other stories : 

John March, Southerner (1894) by G. W. Cable. 

Henry Bourland (1901) by A. E. Hancock, in which the 
responsibility of the government for much of the suffering in 
the South during this period is well presented. 

Administration of Ulysses S. Grant 

It was during this administration (1869- 1877) that measures 
were instituted against the Ku-Klux-Klan, already mentioned, 
and for the protection of voting. The Treaty of Washington 
with Great Britain, the "Alabama Claims" and Canadian fisher- 
ies disputes occurred during the first administration. During the 
second term existed such political scandals as Boss Tweed's Ring, 
the Erie Railroad Ring, the Whisky Ring. Grant was a man of 
the highest motives and of absolute integrity. "Straightforward 
himself, he seemed to lack insight into the weakness and 
corruption of the men about him. His training had been military 
but not political. He was respected and honored at home and 
abroad." 

The Stories 

Black Friday. 1904. Frederick S. Isham 

The rapid growth of the West induced heavy speculation in 
farming lands, and in a great many instances the amount invested 
was far greater than what they could be sold for. Again, a 
dispute between the "Grangers", Western farmers, and the rail- 
roads stopped the sale of bonds which result was disastrous to 
the banks. The failure of Jay Cooke & Co., Philadelphia, created 
such a panic in September, 1873, that the day (Sept. 19) became 
known as "Black Friday." The Coinage Act by which the silver 
dollar was dropped out was called "The Crime of 1873." 

The title of this story will be explained by what has been said. 
The story deals with these speculations, and the conditions lead- 
ing to these financial disturbances. 



THE MODERN ERA 571 

Bob Hampton of Placer. 1906. Randall Parrish 

While the great Centennial Exposition was in progress in Phil- 
adelphia (1876) we were again called to take up arms against the 
Indian. The Sioux had been driven from the region of the Black 
Hrlls by the gold miners and had settled in Montana. The gov- 
ernment required that they should live on their reservations, and 
this they refused to do. General George Custer, at the head of 
300 men, was sent to enforce these requirements, and was con- 
fronted by 3,000 warriors on the Little Bighorn River in Mon- 
tana. The Sioux were led by Sitting Bull, Rain-in-the-Face, and 
Crazy Horse. The inevitable happened to such an utterly inad- 
equate force of whites — Custer and his men were annihilated. 

These troubles in Montana and Wyoming, and the battle be- 
tween Custer and the Sioux are fully described. 

Little Smoke. 1891. William O. Stoddard 

A very painstaking work in which the life and manners of 
the Indian, his notions and superstitions, are carefully^ related. 
The last great attempt on the part of the Indian to hold land 
outside of his reservation, and the conflict that ended fatally for 
Custer and his little band, are well described. 

Other stories : 

The Last of the Chiefs (1909) by J. S. Altsheler, in which 

two men who had escaped from the Indians when the wagon train 

were massacred, saw the annihilation of Custer and his cavalry. 

Master of the Strong Hearts (1899) by Elbridge S. Brooks. 

"Revenge of Rain-in-the-Face," by Longfellow, may be read 

in this connection. 

Administration of Grover Cleveland 

During Cleveland's first administration (1885-1889) five Acts 
were passed : the Presidential Succession Act, occasioned by the 
death of the Vice President ; the Electoral Count Act ; the Inter- 
state Commerce Act ; the Edmunds-Tucker Act ; the Chinese Im- 
migration Act, which stopped further immigration from China. 
President Cleveland was characterized by fearlessness. His ad- 
ministration was marked by the fact that he vetoed over three 



572 HISTORICAL FICTION 

hundred bills which he believed were inimical to the good of the 
public. This was more than double the number of such vetoes 
by all the preceding presidents. 

The Story 

The Bomb. 1908. Frank Harris 

The year 1886 was distinctive for its extensive labor strikes 
throughout the country. In Chicago freight handlers demanded 
an eight-hour day the granting of which would affect 60,000 per- 
sons. Two anarchists edited newspapers which urged the strik- 
ers to commit acts of violence, to use dynamite to dispose of "rich 
loafers who live by the sweat of other people's brows" as Par- 
sons stated it. Some of these agitators in their speeches to the 
excited mobs advised them to abolish all forms of government, 
and to kill soldiers or policemen if they interfered with them. 
Such a meeting was held in Haymarket Square, Chicago, May 4. 
When the police interfered an anarchist threw a dynamite bomb 
which killed seven policemen and wounded a great many. Seven 
anarchists were convicted, four were hanged, one committed sui- 
cide and two were given life imprisonment but were afterwards 
pardoned by Governor Altgeld, which action was widely con- 
demned. 

These labor riots and Haymarket affair in Chicago are set 
forth in a striking manner by this story. It deals with the exist- 
ing conditions related to these disturbances and analyzes the ethi- 
cal grounds of the deed. Industrial and social problems are dis- 
cussed. 

Administration of Benjamin Harrison 

During this administration (1889- 1893) the Bland- Allison 
Act was repealed, the Sherman Act was passed and the McKinley 
Tariff Bill raised protective duties. Oklahoma was opened. The 
Pan American Congress for closer union, political and commercial, 
was held. 

The Story 

The President's Scouts. 1904. Herbert Hay ens 

During this period, in 1891, occurred the Chilian Revolution 
in which the United States became somewhat involved. This 
arose from a conflict between President Balmaceda and the Chil- 



THE MODERN ERA 573 

ian Congress. Balmaceda was an arbitary man, and sought to 
increase his fortune at the expense of the public. He attempted 
to levy taxes without authority and proclaimed himself dictator. 
He had the support of the army and dissolved Congress and 
elected another. The Congressionalists decided to put an end 
to his arbitrary measures and induced the large part of the fleet 
to revolt. They blockaded and finally held all the sea coast. In 
August, 1 891, they defeated the forces of Balmaceda, entered 
Santiago, the capital, and held the rule of the country. Many of 
the defeated leaders killed themselves rather than be taken pris- 
oner. After a number of severe encounters the war ended in 
favor of the Congressional party. In September, Balmaceda 
committed suicide. 

When the war broke out the United States supported the 
existing government. Their minister, who supported Balmaceda, 
"was an exiled Irish agitator and a political subordinate of Blaine, 
who was then our Secretary of State. The Congressionalists 
believed that the minister was corrupted and that Blaine had a 
hand in it." In this country the attitude of the Secretary was 
considerably criticised. An assault upon American seamen in 
Valparaiso brought about trouble between the two governments 
which was finally settled when Chili paid over $75,000 for the 
victims of the riot. 

This revolution is the historical setting of this story. It de- 
scribes the causes and the severe engagements in which the party 
of Balmaceda was defeated, and resulted in his own death. The 
sinking of the Blanco Eucalada is described. 

Administration of Grover Cleveland 
This second administration extended from 1893 to 1897. Dur- 
ing this time the Sherman Act was repealed, the Wilson Bill was 
passed, Hawaii was recognized as a republic, the Venezuelan dis- 
pute was arbitrated and it was declared that Great Britain was 
entitled to most of the territory claimed, and the World's Fair 
was held at Chicago. 

The Story 

Mr. Salt 1903. Will Payne 

The period of prosperity through which the country had 
passed had induced carelessness in business enterprises. There 



574 HISTORICAL FICTION 

was too much speculation on borrowed money. The people were 
spending beyond their means. More factories were built and 
more industries created than was necessary. Business failures 
all over the country resulted, and thousands lost every dollar 
they possessed. The land was full of suffering. This was the 
panic of 1893. 

Again, as a further interpretation of the crisis, "The increase 
of the Treasury's gold obligations, and the decrease in the gold 
reserve, caused fear that the government might be obliged to 
pay its debts in silver dollars, the bullion value of which had fallen 
to 67 cents. This fear led foreigners to sell American stocks and 
bonds, and our own people to hoard gold. 'Tight money' followed, 
banks failed, and men were thrown out of work." 

It is this panic that invests this story with its interest. It sets 
forth the financial conditions in the business world of that time, 
in which too much business was done on paper. 



CHAPTER II 
THE WAR WITH SPAIN 

'Administration of William McKinley 

When Spain grew weak many of her colonies established their 
independence. That was true of the colonies in Central and South 
America. But she still owned Cuba and Porto Rico, and the Phil- 
ippines. The Cubans chafed under Spanish tyranny and paying 
taxes for the Spanish control of the island. When the insurrec- 
tion broke out in 1895 it was the sixth in fifty years. To quell this 
insurrection Spain sent over 200,000 troops. The inhabitants were 
shut up in their towns with a view to starving them into submis- 
sion. About 250,000 people died from disease and destitution. 
The Cubans in this extremity appealed to the people of the United 
States. 

The people of America demanded that Cuba should be inde- 
pendent, and when the American battle-ship Maine was blown 
up in Havana harbor and sunk with 266 of those on board, that 
demand, calling for war, was emphasized. Congress now de- 
clared that "the people of Cuba are and of right ought to be free," 
and that Spain must withdraw her troops and surrender the island 
to the inhabitants. And if she refused to comply with this demand 
the United States would enforce it by war. Spain refused, and 
on April 25, 1898, war was declared. 

The Stories 

The Cruise of the Thetis. 1910. Harry Collingwood 

When Spain sent General Weyler with his troops to Cuba 
he was instructed to use harsh measures. We have noted some 
of the measures. Driving the people into the towns as cattle into 
a pen, preventing the growing of crops, the people dying by tens 
of thousands for lack of food and medical supplies. 

575 



576 HISTORICAL FICTION 

This story describes the state to which the Cubans had been 
reduced, and the circumstances leading to America's attitude 
and declaration of war. 



The Spirit of the Service. 1903. Edith E.Woods 

The Filipinos, the victims of the same tyranny as were the 
Cubans, were also seeking to overthrow the domination of Spain. 
The latter had sent a fleet to the Philippines to carry out the same 
sort of a regime there. Commodore George Dewey received secret 
orders to destroy or capture that fleet. It was destroyed. No 
harm was done to our vessels, and but seven Americans were 
wounded. On August 13, Manila was taken together with 13,000 
Spanish troops, and Spanish rule came to an end in the Orient. 

This story describes the battle of Manila. It also sets forth 
the elements of true patriotism, and the zeal that is actuated by 
the true appreciation of service rendered. 

A Young Volunteer in Cuba. 1898. Edward Strate- 

meyer 

This American author (1862-) was born in Elizabeth, N. J., 
and is the author of a large number of stories under various 
series — Old Glory Series, Colonial Series, etc. 

The Rough Riders, consisting of 1,000 men, were organized 
by Theodore Roosevelt. They were young men who were 
skilled in horseback riding on the Western Plains and in the 
mountains. Among them were cowboys and ranchmen; many 
were graduates from colleges. In 1898 the Rough Riders held 
the center of the stage. Not more than 600 of them went to Cuba. 
In the charge on San Juan Hill they made a fine record. The 
first cavalry brigade was followed by the second in which were 
the Rough Riders and the Tenth Regiment, colored. In little 
groups the men rushed up the slope firing as they went. They 
reached the crest and drove the Spaniards back into their defences. 
Then came the bombardment of Santiago, which, together with 
most of Eastern Cuba, Toral surrendered. 

In this story two young men enlisted, one in a New York 
regiment, the other joining the Rough Riders. Lawton declared 



THE MODERN ERA 577 

he could charge and take El Caney in two hours, and the story 
describes the manner in which he drove back the Spaniards. It 
gives a splendid portrayal of the taking of San Juan Hill. 

The Campaign in the Jungle. 1900. Edward Strate- 

meyer 

The destruction of the Spanish fleet by Dewey was the signal 
for the rising of the natives, and Aguinaldo and his troops greatly 
assisted the Americans in taking the city. Aguinaldo stated that 
he had been assured by Dewey and American consuls that the 
United States would treat the Philippines in the same way Cuba 
had been treated, i. e., that the American control would continue 
only until an independent government could be established. When 
these officials denied that any such promise had been made, Agui- 
naldo raised a revolt against American authority. The result was 
a war that continued for over two years. 

In 1899 Henry W. Lawton, who captured El Caney, was sent 
to the islands and rendered valuable service in crushing the rebel- 
lion. He was killed in an attack on San Mateo. Aguinaldo was 
captured by General Frederick Funston. At Manila he took the 
oath of allegiance, and the Filipinos acknowledged the authority 
of the United States. 

This story describes the excellent service rendered by Law- 
ton in the conflict with Aguinaldo and his troops, and the diffi- 
culties with which this contest was attended in these malarial 
regions. 

Other stories : 

A Random Shaft (1908), by Jude MacMillar. 

The Promotion (1906), by John M. Dean, in which both mili- 
tary and missionary operations in the Philippines are described. 

Fighting in Cuban Waters. 1899. Edward Strate- 

meyer 

Admiral Cervera's fleet consisted of seven ships, which were 
of a higher class than those destroyed by Dewey. Leaving the 
Cape Verde Islands he took refuge in the harbor of Santiago. 
Here he was blockaded by the American fleet, and the attempt 



578 HISTORICAL FICTION 

was made to bottle him up by sinking a vessel at the mouth of the 
harbor. He was able to squeeze through, however, and made a 
dash for the open sea so as not to be caught in a trap. This was 
discovered by the American fleet under Sampson and Schley, who 
at once formed a line of battle. The Americans in a running fight 
wasted no time and no ammunition. Every shot seemed to strike 
home. Within a few hours Cervera's fleet was destroyed, every 
ship was sunk or burned and Cervera was captured. Within 
two weeks Santiago surrendered and Cuba was given her inde- 
pendence. 

This story gives a good description of life in the navy. The 
blockading of the Spanish fleet in the harbor of Santiago, its 
escape to the open sea, and the battle and destruction of the fleet 
are well portrayed. 

The War with Spain marked a new era in our history. Prior 
to that time the United States held possessions only on the conti- 
nent of North America. But the War of 1898 "virtually forced 
upon us, in one way or another, numerous distant islands in the 
Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. We thus greatly expanded our 
bounds, and to our former interests and tasks as a nation we have 
added what the poet Kipling calls 'the white man's burden' — that 
is, the difficult duty of governing and educating millions of uncivil- 
ized men living in distant parts of the earth." Thus in this manner 
was America raised to the plane of a World Power. 

These sketches have enabled us to see the trend in the historical 
development of America, the central fact of which may be ex- 
pressed by the one word, Liberty. She gained her independence 
and formed a union of states into one great commonwealth. With- 
in her very life, however, existed an institution that was a flat 
contradiction of liberty, the central principle of her existence. It 
necessitated another great war to uproot this contradiction, estab- 
lish her great principle within her own bounds, expunge the stain 
from the nation by blood, and preserve the Union by establishing 
the sovereignty of the central government. 

With freedom and liberty thus secured she was prepared to 
strike a blow for the liberty of others under the heel of oppression 
and tyranny, which she did, and did most effectually and expedi- 
tiously in the Spanish- American War, which marks the third stage 



THE MODERN ERA 579 

in her historical development and elevated her to a position of 
world-wide distinction. 

And finally America has been compelled to cross the ocean 
and take her place on the battle field of Europe, which became 
the battle field of the world, to crush tyrannical aggression, and 
maintain the principles of human rights and democracy. She is 
no longer a continent by herself. She is seated with the nations 
in the great councils of the world, and must do her part in lending 
her aid and adding her wisdom in the policies of the world. She 
is essentially a part of the world order in matters infinitely greater 
than simply commercial relations with the various states. From 
this position she can never recede, and should not recede. To lose 
sight of the obligations of the new position which she has been 
compelled to take, and to withdraw from this larger opportunity 
and service to humanity, would be a backward step, and a sur- 
render to things that would rob her of her prestige and power and 
the glory of her triumphs. 

The body of historical fiction we have related with the great 
events of our history has presented in a living, palpitating manner 
these many scenes through which we have passed. In the coming 
years, no doubt, much will be forthcoming that will fully express 
and vivify America's contribution to the world conflagration from 
which we have just emerged. 



THE DOMINION OF CANADA 

Canada, the brightest gem in the British crown, is of peculiar 
interest to the people of the United States, not only because she 
is a part of the same great American Continent comprising both 
nations, but because her discovery and historical development 
have been contemporary with our own. 

This vast area, larger than the United States, and nearly as 
large as the continent of Europe, has been abundantly favored 
by nature in variety of climate, richness of soil and mineral re- 
sources. As an exporter of cheese she ranks higher than any 
other country in the world ; her forest area is more extensive than 
that of any other lumber-producing country; for manufacturing 
interests she possesses an abundance of raw material. 

In matters of government, her administration of justice is 
based on the English system, which fact means that the Canadians 
are well governed, are a liberty loving people, and maintain a high 
order of democracy. Canada, having the full right of internal 
legislation, is practically as independent as the United States. 
She is absolutely loyal to the great British Empire, of which she 
is such a conspicuous part, and at no time has that splendid loyalty 
been better expressed than in the hearty and self-sacrificing man- 
ner in which she supported Great Britain in the world conflict 
through which we have just passed. With the best life of the 
nation she leaped at once into the breach and distinguished herself 
on the field of battle to the admiration of the world. 

In the point of population Canada is not a large nation, but she 
stands for large things, and in her historical interests and develop- 
ment the writers of fiction have found an excellent field for their 
literary contributions. 



58o 



CHAPTER I 

CANADA UNDER FRANCE 

The first real discovery of North America was made by the 
Englishman, John Cabot, in 1497. He planted the English flag 
on the shores of Newfoundland, and this discovery was the basis 
of England's claims to America. Early in the sixteenth century 
French explorers came to Canada. The most famous of these 
was Jacques Cartier, a brave and skillful sea-captain, highly 
esteemed by the king and a man of pronounced piety. He made 
the first actual landing on Canadian soil in 1534, and between that 
time and 1542 made three voyages to the New World. 

Following these explorations little attention was paid to Can- 
ada by the French for fifty years, but in 1583 Sir Humphrey 
Gilbert attempted to establish an English settlement at Saint 
John's, Newfoundland. In 1608 the first permanent settlement 
in Canada was made by Samuel Champlain, at Quebec, which 
became the center of the fur trade, and upon this the prosperity 
of the new country, which was called New France, depended. 
Thus it was that the early settlements and enterprises in Canada 
were brought about by the French, while the period of French 
rule is usually considered to extend from 1663 to 1760, or a period 
of about one hundred years. 

The Stories 

Marguerite de Roberval. 1899. Thomas G. Marquis 

This Canadian author (1864-) was born at Chatham, New 
Brunswick. He was graduated at Queen's University, Kingston, 
in 1889. He became English master at the Collegiate Institute of 
this city, and afterwards principal of the Collegiate Institute of 
Brockville. Devoting himself to literature he became chief edi- 
torial writer of the Ottawa Free Press. He is the author of 
several well-written novels. 

This is a story of the early days of French exploration and 

581 



582 HISTORICAL FICTION 

attempts at settlement. Chevalier de Roberval had been appointed 
Governor of Canada in 1541, and Cartier was commanded by the 
king to make a third voyage to the New World. He had charge 
of five vessels and was given full authority by his superior De 
Roberval, while the latter was to fit out two other vessels and join 
Cartier at Newfoundland. 

Cartier established his headquarters at Cape Rouge and waited 
for De Roberval, who did not set out until April of the following 
year. The Indians had become quarrelsome and the French had 
to be constantly on guard during a hard winter. Their supplies 
were running short and they had but little ammunition. When 
the spring opened and Roberval had not arrived, and finding it 
impossible to accomplish the ends of the expedition with his small 
band, Cartier decided to return to France. He reached New- 
foundland, and there to his surprise fell in with Roberval, who 
ordered him to return. He refused to do so, and in the night set 
sail, unknown to his superior, and finally arrived in France. 

Roberval, coming to Cape Rouge, occupied the quarters aban- 
doned by Cartier and passed through a winter of extreme hard- 
ship. More than sixty of his colonists died, most of whom were 
ex-convicts, several of whom he was compelled to hang. His 
expedition was a failure and the king ordered him to return home 
in 1544. Several years afterwards he and his brother set sail on 
another expedition, but all were lost at sea. 

The Lady of Fort St. John. 1892. Mrs. Mary H. 
Catherwood 

As already noted, the French paid little attention to Canada, 
after the fruitless expedition of Roberval, for a period of fifty 
years, or until the opening of the seventeenth century. It was 
then that Champlain established his settlement at Quebec (1608). 
French settlements were made at Port Royal and other places, at 
which time the colonization of Nova Scotia began. This region, 
together with New Brunswick, was called by the French, Acadia, 
or Acadie. It was taken by Cromwell in 1654, and was again 
ceded to France by the English in 1667. It was the border-land 
of French and English dispute. 

One of the most prominent figures in Acadian affairs was 
La Tour, to whom was given the Fort of St. John by the "Com- 



THE MODERN ERA 583 

pany of New France." When De Razilly died in 1636, D'Aulnay, 
an officer of the French navy, being next in command, became the 
successor of De Razilly and was practically the ruler at Port 
Royal, while La Tour was that at St. John. The fort of the 
latter was strong, and trading interests at this point were quite 
extensive. Lady La Tour presided with grace in her New World 
castle. In D'Aulnay, La Tour had a bitter jealous enemy, who did 
everything in his power to poison the French Court against him, 
and he knowing nothing of this was summoned to France to 
answer the charges made against him, which summons he refused 
to obey. The result was a conflict between the two men. In the 
course of the struggle Lady La Tour passed through all sorts of 
perils, and while her husband was in Boston, D'Aulnay attacked 
the fort of St. John. Lady La Tour herself defended the fort, 
and from one of the bastions directed the cannonading on the 
vessels. For three days the attacks on the fort were driven off ; 
then a despicable Swiss traitor betrayed the fort while the garri- 
son was at prayers. There was nothing left but to accept the 
terms of surrender, which the disreputable D'Aulnay at once broke 
by hanging the garrison, and compelled Lady La Tour to witness 
the execution with a halter about her own neck. She lived but 
three weeks and died of a broken heart. 

This story is an excellent description of this contest between 
the rulers of these two forts. It sets forth the rascality of D'Aul- 
nay, his attack upon the fort of St. John in the absence of La 
Tour, the gallant defence of the fort by Lady La Tour, its betrayal 
and surrender. 

The reader will be interested in reading Whittier's poem, "St. 
John," in which the poet has preserved the name and immortalized 
the heroism of this noble woman. 

The Romance of Dollard. 1889. Mrs. Mary H. 
Catherwood 

In 1660 things looked dark for the French settlements. The 
Iroquois, who had become strong, gave out that they intended to 
drive out the French, and a force of 1,200 prepared to attack 
Ville-Maria and Quebec. A band of forty-four Huron refugees 
came into Ville-Maria, at which place a French Captain, Dollard, 



584 HISTORICAL FICTION 

joined them with seventeen followers. They started up the 
Ottawa and became aware of the nearness of the Iroquois. They 
fortified themselves with fallen trees and were soon attacked by 
a force of 600. Many of the Hurons deserted, leaving Dollard 
with seventeen Frenchmen and ten Hurons. For eight days they 
repulsed the Iroquois, but finally the latter broke into the fort 
and slaughtered the whole number with the exception of one or 
two Hurons who escaped. A great number of the Iroquois had 
been slain by the defenders. The result was, that the Indians 
abandoned their plan of destroying Ville-Maria and Quebec, so 
greatly were they impressed by the gallantry of Dollard and his 
little band. 

These early days when the Indians were a menace to the set- 
tlers, when Hurons and Iroquois fought each other, are set forth 
by this story. It portrays the heroism and fortitude of Dollard 
and his little band in defending themselves against the overwhelm- 
ing force by which they were surrounded. 

Heralds of Empire. 1902. Agnes C. Laut 

This Canadian author (1872-) was born at Stanley, Ont. Set- 
tling in the northwest she was educated at the University of Man- 
itoba. She became a special correspondent for leading journals 
in the United States and Canada. Removing to New York she 
joined the staff of Outing. Her stories and descriptions of Cana- 
dian life are widely read. 

In 1609 Henry Hudson, an English navigator and explorer, 
discovered the Hudson River, and in 1610, in trying to find a 
northwest passage to Asia discovered Hudson Bay, where he 
wintered. His crew mutinied and set him and his son John adrift 
in a boat ; neither of them was ever heard of again. A few years 
later exploring parties discovered that the regions about the bay 
were abundantly stocked with animals furnishing valuable fur. 

Zachariah Gillam, a colonial captain, sailed from Gravesend 
in 1668. He took with him two French explorers, Grosselliers 
and Radisson, who had journeyed through New France. He 
sailed under the direction of English merchants to establish a post 
on Hudson Bay. He reached the southern end of that bay and 
erected a small structure, which he named Fort St. Charles. He 



THE MODERN ERA 585 

returned to England in 1669. In 1670 a company of English 
traders, known as "The Honorable Company of Adventurers 
from England trading into Hudson's Bay," received from Charles 
II a royal license to trade in what was known as Prince Rupert's 
Land. 

With the assistance of Radisson and Grosselliers the Company 
established another post on the Nelson River. The charter of 
1670 authorized the company to make laws and ordinances, and 
to impose penalties and punishments "not repugnant to the laws 
of England." A rival French company resolved to expel its Eng- 
lish competitor. There were many collisions between them, and 
in 1685 the French took most of the English factories, which were 
restored in 171 3. 

This story has its setting in these days of the Hudson Bay 
Company and its conflicts with the French in their attack upon 
these trading posts. It details the fighting that took place, in 
which Denonville, an officer of Dragoons, De Troyes, and Iber- 
ville figured so greatly in taking the English forts, 

Robert Cavalier. 1905. W. D. Orcutt 

The most capable of the explorers of New France was Robert 
Cavalier de la Salle, a man of great enterprise, courage and 
energy. What he encountered and endured is marvelous. He 
was born at Rouen, 1643, an d received his education from the 
Jesuits, to whom afterwards, however, he became very antago- 
nistic. With his brother, Jean Cavalier, a priest, he came to New 
France (1667). While exploring he fell in with Joliet, who was 
returning from his first expedition to Sault Ste. Marie. 

He returned to France in 1674, and while there attached him- 
self to Henri de Tonty, a man who became indispensable to him 
in his great enterprises, and "one of the bravest and most faithful 
men in the service of France in the New World." The father 
of Tonty, an Italian officer, was confined in the Bastile for eight 
years. From him the Tontine system of life insurance receives 
its name. Henri, the son, entered the service of La Salle. At 
Quebec he was also joined by Father Hennepin, a very remarkable 
man. 

The great dream and ambition of La Salle was to find the 



586 HISTORICAL FICTION 

mouth of the Mississippi. He reached the "Father of Waters" 
February 8, 1682, and eventually sailed out on the Gulf of Mex- 
ico ; his dream was realized. On April 9 a column was erected on 
the shore and the country was claimed for France and given the 
name of Louisiana. Intending to colonize the country at the 
mouth of the river, and while on an overland expedition seeking 
that point, he was shot by some treacherous members of his 
band. 

The character and labors of La Salle are set forth by this 
story, detailing his various movements and expeditions, and finally 
the realization of his dream in regard to the Mississippi. 

Governor Frontenac figures in the story. When he arrived 
La Salle found in him a congenial spirit. They were men of 
unusual ability, and in one thing in particular they agreed — their 
dislike for the Jesuits. The story distinguishes the attempt of 
the latter to secure temporal power. In one instance Frontenac 
writes, "The Jesuits will not civilize the Indians, because they 
wish to keep them in perpetual wardship. They think more of 
beaver skins than of souls, and their missions are pure mock- 
eries." He himself exercised an unusual influence over the In- 
dians. He lays the blame for existing troubles upon the Jesuits 
and their political ambitions. He says, "Nearly all the disorders 
in New France spring from the ambitions of ecclesiastics, who 
want to join to their spiritual authority an absolute power over 
things temporal, and who persecute all who do not submit entirely 
to them." On the other hand, the excellent work of the mission- 
aries as an important factor in the settlement of the country and 
in civilizing the Indians, is well portrayed. 

Henri de Tonty, sketched above, figures in the story in his 
relations with La Salle ; also the explorer Joliet. 

Other stories : 

The Young Pioneers (1896), by Evelyn E. Green, which 
brings out the purpose of La Salle to set up a colony on the Mis- 
sissippi. 

The Story of Tonty (1904), by Mrs. Mary Catherwood, giving 
the relations of Tonty to La Salle. In trying to find the mouth 
of the Mississippi, after it had been discovered, the exploring 
party get into Texas, and these facts appear in the story. 



THE MODERN ERA 587 

The Trail of the Sword. 1895. Sir Gilbert Parker 

This Canadian novelist (1862-) was born at Camden East, 
Ont. After graduating at Trinity College, Toronto, he traveled 
extensively among the South Sea Islands and in Northern Canada. 
He finally took up his residence in England and became a member 
of Parliament. His literary work is largely in the domain of 
fiction. 

Pierre le Moyne dTberville was a native of Canada, born in 
Montreal in 1661. He was one of the greatest commanders of his 
time. In 1685 he and his overland party captured the English 
forts around Hudson Bay, and carried away from one of them 
50,000 crowns' worth of furs. 

The brilliant feats of Iberville in this conflict between the 
English and French at this time in taking these forts, Albany, 
Hayes, Rupert, holds a leading place in this story. Another inci- 
dent in this series of conflicts, occurring in 1690, and fully de- 
scribed, is the attack of Sir William Phipps on Quebec. He sent 
a message demanding the surrender of the city. Frontenac replied 
that "the muzzles of his cannon would bear the answer" to the 
English summons. The guns of the fleet did little or no damage, 
while the guns of Quebec greatly damaged the ships. The attack 
was a dismal failure, and Phipps and his force returned to Boston 
crestfallen. In this engagement he had a fleet of thirty-five vessels 
and about 2,000 militia. He lost about 500 men, and some of his 
ships returning were wrecked in the gulf. 

Prior to this attack on Quebec, Phipps, aided by friends in 
England, after two attempts was fortunate in locating a Spanish 
galleon that had sunk in the West Indies, and got out of it the 
treasure it contained. It brought him a small fortune and the 
honor of knighthood. 

Other stories : 

A Daughter of New France (1901), by Mary C. Crowley, de- 
tailing some of the events already noted, among them the attack 
on Quebec by Phipps. 

The Galleon Treasure (1908), by Percy K. Fitzhugh, relating 
to Spanish treasure sought by Phipps, noted above. 



588 HISTORICAL FICTION 

A Sister to Evangeline. 1900. Charles G. Roberts 

This Canadian poet and novelist and writer of animal stories 
(i860-) was born at Douglas, New Brunswick. He was educated 
at the Fredericton Collegiate School and the University of New 
Brunswick. From 1885 to 1887 he taught English and French 
literature in King's College, Nova Scotia. Literature then claimed 
his attention and he won distinction by his poetical productions, 
the artistic finish of which has met with critical appreciation. 

In 1755 the French Acadians refused to take the oath of alle- 
giance to Great Britain and assumed a very hostile attitude to 
British rule. It is said that they inspired enmity to Britain on the 
part of the Indians, and also, by lending their sympathy and sup- 
port to any French expedition of a warlike nature, they were a 
menace to the peace and security of British Acadia. 

On these grounds the British felt justified in resorting to 
drastic action, and about 6,000 were expelled from the country 
and transported to French Canada to find food and shelter as best 
they could. The justification of this action has been a debatable 
point, and agreement of opinion depends largely on the absolute 
verification of the charges against the Acadians. Colonel John 
Winslow declared that their expulsion was the most unpalatable 
work he ever did. "Even though their expulsion may have been 
justifiable as a war measure, their miseries appeal to us." 

The author of this story attempts to present the facts bearing 
on this expulsion in a fair way. Longfellow's poem, Evangeline, 
is founded on this event. During the deportation, Evangeline 
Bellefontaine is separated from her lover, Gabriel Layeunesse. 
She traces him from point to point, always just missing him. She 
becomes a Sister of Mercy in Philadelphia, and finds him at last 
in a hospital dying, a victim of the plague. The father of Evan- 
geline, Benedict, was a wealthy farmer of Grandpre. When the 
expulsion occurred he died of a broken heart as he was about to 
go aboard the ship, and was buried on the sea-shore. 

Parkman offers the criticism that both the poet and Haliburton, 
the historian of Nova Scotia, relied upon Abbe Raynol for their 
facts, and the latter never saw the Acadians, but "made an ideal 
picture of them, since copied and improved in prose and verse, 
until Acadia has become Arcadia." 



THE MODERN ERA 589 

The Loss of Canada to the French 

The history of this struggle between the British and the 
French, ending in the defeat of the latter and the bringing of 
Canada into the British Empire, has been fully sketched in our 
English and American studies in this volume. The operations of 
Montcalm and Wolfe, the battle on the Plains of Abraham, the 
fall of Quebec, etc., are in those sections fully detailed. The fol- 
lowing stories deal with these events. 

At the Fall of Montreal. 1905. Edward Stratemeyer 

The last struggles with the French culminating in the victory 
of Wolfe in the celebrated battle on the Plains of Abraham. One 
of the great feats at this time was climbing the precipitous heights 
by the British. 

Roger the Ranger. 1893. Eliza F. Pollard 

The co-operation of the Indians with the French, and the prog- 
ress of the conflict in the engagements at Fort William Henry, 
taken by Montcalm, at Ticonderoga, the failure of Abercrombie, 
and the crowning action at Quebec. The same events are brought 
forward by Gilbert Parker's story, The Seats of the Mighty. 

A Soldier of Manhattan. 1897. Joseph A. Altsheler 

The hero is in the engagement at Ticonderoga and is captured 
and carried to Quebec. He contrives to escape, and reaching 
Wolfe's army, fights in the battle of Quebec. 



CHAPTER II 

CANADA UNDER GREAT BRITAIN 

With the fall of Quebec in 1759 and the taking of Montreal in 
1760, Canada passed under British control and was forever lost 
to France. With all its dependencies it was ceded to Great Brit- 
ain, and France renounced her claim to Acadia. Whether or not 
the fact was fully appreciated at that time, a new day had dawned 
for Canada. She was incorporated in the greatest empire in the 
world, and her political development would be directed by the 
power that was most capabk of establishing the strongest form 
of government and eventually a true democracy. The Canadian 
people today fully realize all that was wrought in 1760 for their 
best interests, and the great forward movement in their national 
life, that was determined by England gaining full control. Not 
only does Canada enjoy full independence under British rule, but 
also the prestige, power, and protection of the greatest empire in 
human history. 

To the Reign of Queen Victoria 

The Stories 

Conjurer's House. 1903. Stewart E. White 

This American author (1873-) was born at Grand Rapids, 
Mich. He was educated at the University of Michigan, graduat- 
ing in 1895, and at Columbia Law School. In his stories western 
life is vividly portrayed. 

The Hudson's Bay Company for nearly two centuries pos- 
sessed a monopoly of the fur trade in the great district known 
as the Hudson Bay territory. In 1783 at Montreal was formed 
the Northwest Fur Company, which disputed the rights of this 
monopoly and opposed it, and a great rivalry sprang up between 
them. As early as 1766 Scottish merchants of Montreal ad- 
vanced in the far western regions to Lake Winnipeg. By the 
operations of these rival companies the Hudson Bay Company 

590 



THE MODERN ERA 591 

began to realize a decided diminution in their trade. There were 
six competing fur houses in Montreal, and to escape the bad effects 
of rivalry among themselves they united in 1787 and became the 
great North West Company. They built forts along the Ottawa 
River, on the lakes and to the very Saskatchewan district, and 
finally as far as the Columbia River on the Pacific coast. 

In this story this commercial rivalry between these companies 
is dealt with. It is a picture of these days in these great timber 
lands, the days of the government agent or factor. 

Ungava. 1857. Robert M. Ballantyne 

Ungava comprises nearly all the peninsula of Labrador. It is 
a rocky rough country of extensive forests in which live fur-bear- 
ing animals — bears, wolves, martens, and other animals. It 
is not a poor man's land, as it is not adapted to raising the neces- 
saries of life. Cereal cannot ripen here. The inhabitants consist 
of Indians, Eskimos and half-breeds. The spring comes late 
and the summer is short. Some of the best furs in the world are 
obtained here. They are trapped by the Indians and Eskimos 
and sold to the trading companies that have posts scattered about 
the territory. 

The author (1825-1894), a prolific Scotch writer, had wide ex- 
perience in the backwoods of Rupert's Land among the Indians 
and fur-traders, and in the Bell Rock light-house. Upon these 
experiences he drew largely in writing for boys his strong and 
wholesome tales. 

This story takes us into the northern regions of Labrador, 
and gives us an account of the trading interests, and the life and 
activities of the people. Stirring scenes of danger in passing from 
point to point, great distances apart, are well portrayed. 

The Pomp of the Lavilettes. 1897. Gilbert Parker 

From 181 5 to 1840 was a stormy period in Canadian politics. 
It was a constant fight for "supremacy between the legislative and 
executive authorities, which culminated towards the end of this 
period in a series of outbreaks, none of which seriously threat- 
ened the suzerainty of Britain, but all indicating the canker which 
was eating into the heart of the country." 



592 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Louis Papineau was born in Montreal (1789), was well 
trained, a brilliant orator, a political student, a man of great 
energy but not always a man of well-balanced judgment. In 
1 81 7 he was elected Speaker of the Assembly. He was one of 
the greatest opponents of the governing authorities. During four 
years the House had voted no supplies, and in 1837 there were 
arrears of $750,000. It was this situation that Lord John Russell 
in the House of Commons had in mind when he presented his 
resolutions refusing the Canadian demand for an elective legisla- 
tive council. 

This action created an outburst of anger in Canada. The 
"patriots" called for "agitation," and acts of violence. The move- 
ment was headed by Papineau. Under his leadership and that of 
Dr. Wolfred Nelson, indignation meetings were held, Great Bri- 
tain was denounced and it was openly insisted that a republic be 
established. A body of young men calling themselves "the Sons 
of Liberty" paraded the streets of Montreal, and conflicts ensued. 
Proclamations were now issued for the arrest of all active leaders. 
In the Montreal district, sixty-one magistrates were expelled 
from office, and a number of "patriots" were imprisoned. Papi- 
neau, the leader in this great disturbance, made his escape. The 
rebellion, that began to assume a serious form, was nipped in 
the bud when the British troops defeated the rebels at St. Denis. 

This rebellion under Papineau is the historical setting of this 
story with its scene laid in a Canadian village. 

The Victorian Era 

When, at the age of nineteen, Queen Victoria succeeded to the 
throne of Great Britain, Canada was passing through and nearing 
the end of this stormy political period just noted. The disturb- 
ances in Upper and Lower Canada indicated to the British Gov- 
ernment that the wisest measure was to unite them. In 1841 
occurred the legislative union of the two divisions under a re- 
sponsible government. Under the new Constitution provision 
was made for a Legislative Assembly with equal representation 
from Upper and Lower Canada, a Governor to be appointed by 
the Crown and an Executive Council to be selected by the Gov- 
ernor from the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly. 
In 1867, by an act of the British Parliament all the provinces of 



THE MODERN ERA 593 

Canada, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Upper and Lower Canada, 
were united and constituted the Dominion of Canada. Since that 
time this Act is each year, July 1, commemorated throughout 
Canada on what is known as Dominion Day. 

The Stories 

In Treaty with Honor. 1906. Mary C. Crowley 

The insurrection noted in connection with the preceding story 
was continued throughout 1837 and 1838. This story deals with 
the rebellion and the leading personages, the leaders of the rebel- 
lion and those who crushed it. We have already noted the impor- 
tant part played by Louis Papineau. When Queen Victoria came 
to the throne at this time, according to custom, the Roman Cath- 
olic Churches celebrated the fact by the offering up of prayers for 
the Queen and royal family. At this point in the services the sedi- 
tious members rose and left, thus indicating their political attitude. 

Such disturbances and outrages occurred in the Montreal dis- 
trict that many British families were compelled to flee for safety 
to other places. At different points the insurgents formed bodies 
under their leaders. The force at St. Denis was under the leader- 
ship of Dr. Wolfred Nelson. He was a man of high attainments, 
and had a strong influence over the people in the southern counties 
of Lower Canada. "Believing that the struggle in Lower Canada 
was one for liberty, and that the oligarchy in the lower province 
was as tyrannical and self-seeking as the Family Compact in 
Upper Canada, Nelson had allied himself with Papineau and the 
French Canadians." 

When Colonel Gore suppressed the insurgents at St. Charles, 
Nelson's followers began to desert and he himself soon left, in- 
tending to cross over to the United States. Before reaching the 
border he was captured in company with an Indian guide in a state 
of utter exhaustion. He was taken to Montreal and put in prison. 
He and eight other leaders of the insurrection were sent to Ber- 
muda. 

This story takes up the revolution in Upper Canada under 
the leadership of William L. McKenzie. The Lieutenant-Gov- 
ernor, Sir Francis Head, ordered his arrest. McKenzie gathered 
about him an armed band and marched against Toronto, his aim 



594 HISTORICAL FICTION 

being to seize Head and proclaim a republic. But the majority 
who favored his agitation for governmental reform were not in 
favor of revolution and bloodshed. His band was attacked out- 
side of Toronto, quite a number were killed and the rest fled. 
McKenzie made his escape to the United States. This uprising 
lasted just one week. 

The part played by Colonel Prince in this affair is given in 
the story. An invasion from Detroit was directed against Am- 
herstburg, Sandwich and Windsor. Colonel Prince had the com- 
mand in this quarter and defeated all these attempts, putting the 
invaders to flight and killing a large number of them. Many 
prisoners were taken and the rest of the invaders, composed of 
refugees and American sympathizers, fled across the frontier with 
the exception of about twenty, who, unable to cross, were frozen 
to death. 

The insurrection was stamped out and then the plan of the 
union of Upper and Lower Canada by the British Government 
was executed in 1841, and finally the union of the various prov- 
inces. Under the new order of things the legislative measures 
were provided as indicated above. 



In the Midst of Alarms. 1894. Robert Barr 

At the close of the American Civil War a large body of sol- 
diers, many of them of Irish descent, organized a society called 
the Fenian Brotherhood. It was anti-British and its scheme was 
to capture Canada as a base of operations on behalf of Ireland. 
Early in the spring of 1866 Colonel O'Neil, with 900 men, met 
two Canadian regiments at Ridgeway. O'Neil was defeated and 
returned to the United States. 

Another Fenian expedition had for its objective the taking of 
Ottawa, and another crossed the border from Vermont. They 
were easily scattered. The American authorities relieved them- 
selves of responsibility on the ground that the Federal Govern- 
ment could not interfere in the individual states, which action 
aroused great indignation in Canada. The attempts of the Fenians 
in the Northwest were a ludicrous failure. While these raids 
amounted to very little, yet they involved Canada in considerable 
expense. 



THE MODERN ERA 595 

In this story this Fenian excitement is the historical back- 
ground. It gives a picture of rural life in Canada at this time. 



Menotah. 1897. Ernest G. Henham 

When the Canadian Government took over the Hudson's Bay 
Company Territories in 1869, the natives, of Indian extraction, 
were in no manner considered, and no attempt was made to con- 
ciliate the people of Red River. Louis Riel, a French half-breed, 
lived near Fort Garry. He was a rash up-start and took up the 
cause of the natives, the French Metis, of Red River. Governor 
McDougall called upon the rebels to lay down their arms, which 
Riel refused to do, having seized Fort Garry. He arrested a 
number of Canadians and imprisoned them in the fort, and exe- 
cuted a young man named Scott, who did not propose to yield to 
such measures. When this became known, thousands of volun- 
teers offered their services. With 500 regulars Colonel Wolseley 
made the long journey and in August, 1870, reached Fort Garry, 
only to find the rebellion at an end and that Riel had fled. 

This story deals with the Canadian regions in the Northwest, 
and follows the events of this Red River Rebellion under Riel. 

The Prodigal's Brother. 1899. John Mackie 

Following the transfer of the Hudson's Bay Company and 
Riel's rebellion, the Northwest received such a large number of 
settlers that the French half-breeds were regarded as a negligible 
consideration, as far as being a menace was concerned. Many of 
them had gone west. Those on the Saskatchewan River near 
Prince Albert were in a restless state, as were the Indians, because 
of the coming of the whites and the killing off of the buffalo. 

In this state of mind these classes sent for Riel, who had fled 
to Montana after the Red River rebellion and the shooting of 
Scott, to take the lead in a new movement. Posing as a liberator, 
he accepted the commission. In March, 1885, Canada was aroused 
by a message telegraphed from this section that the Mounted 
Police and Prince Albert Volunteers had been attacked and de- 
feated by Riel and his band with loss of life. The Indian tribes 
of that region had received messages from Riel to rally to his 



596 HISTORICAL FICTION 

support. Within a few days 5,000 Canadian soldiers were on the 
march. At Fish Creek the half-breeds held a strong position 
among the ravines. Here they were defeated and fell back to 
Batoche, which also was taken and Riel was captured. At Regina 
he was given a fair trial, was found guilty and executed. 

This story furnishes an excellent description of the Mounted 
Police system of Canada at this time. The historical setting is this 
second rebellion led by Riel and deals with the conditions in 
these regions. 

The Silver Maple. 1906. Marian Keith 

One of the leading interests of this story relates to the year of 
Riel's second rebellion, as noted above, in 1885. In 1874 Charles 
G. Gordon was appointed Governor of the tribes in the Soudan, 
in which capacity he rendered a worthy service in abolishing the 
slave trade. In 1877 he became Governor-General of the Soudan. 
In 1884 he was commissioned to bring relief to the Soudan gar- 
risons that were hemmed in by the followers of the Mahdi. 

It was after the natives had been defeated in two engagements 
by General Graham that Gordon was sent into the interior of the 
Soudan to relieve the besieged garrisons and to bring them away. 
He reached Khartoum and was himself hemmed in. Lord Wolse- 
ley was sent to his assistance. He marched his force across the 
desert, defeated the natives at two points, but when the relief 
expedition reached Khartoum it was to find the city had been 
taken and the brave Gordon slain. "His saintliness and fearless- 
ness and strange influence over men make him one of the most 
striking figures in modern history." 

In this story the hero, who is a lumberman, one of the Scotch 
settlers, is a member of the relief expedition sent to the assistance 
of Gordon. It was Colonel Wolseley who was sent to put down 
Riel's first rebellion, only to find after the long journey that the 
rebellion had ended and Riel had fled. But the skill of the Cana- 
dian soldiers under him on this expedition so impressed him, that 
when he was ordered to Egypt he sent to Canada for a force to 
work his boats up the Nile. The story also gives in an interesting 
manner the disagreements between the Irish and Scotch in Upper 
Canada. 



THE MODERN ERA 597 

Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the Canadian statesman, declared that 
"Canada will be the country of the twentieth century." Lord 
Strathcona predicted that "by the end of the present century the 
Dominion of Canada will have a population of eighty millions of 
people." While this is questioned sometimes by Canadians them- 
selves, that they are contemplating a rapid growth is thus expressed 
by W. L. Griffith, Secretary to the Office of the High Commissioner 
for Canada: "There is, therefore, every reasonable ground for 
anticipating that the population of Canada will grow even more 
rapidly than was the case in the history of her neighbor to the 
south, whose expansion has constituted a great feature in world 
affairs. The immense resources of Canada are admitted on all 
sides ; and given an adequate population, her position must eventu- 
ally become that of a great world power." 

That the loyalty and devotion of Canada should be inspired 
by virtue of the great empire of which she is such a vital part is 
urged by one of the best Canadian writers, Dr. George Bryce: 
"The thought that a fifth part of the habitable globe is included in 
the British Empire should give lovers of their country inspiration 
to work for its greater unity and consolidation. The British Em- 
pire is three times larger than America, is composed of sixty-five 
territories and islands, and comprises one-sixth of the population 
of the globe. Within the area of the British Empire, under the 
favored climatic conditions, are produced all that is needed for the 
sustenance of life, for clothing, for the refined enjoyment of the 
most profligate luxury — everything used by the world of today in 
peace and war, in commerce and art, in science and manufacture." 



GERMANY— AUSTRIA 

In Germany the Modern Era opened with the reign of Maxi- 
milian I (1493-15 19). The Holy Roman Empire, as it still was 
officially called, had come to be scarcely more than a lofty concep- 
tion. Its territory in the main was Germany. Emerging from 
a period of about two hundred years of comparatively little inter- 
est, the empire was to enter into the spirit and impulse of the 
new age. Between the opening of the modern period and the 
beginning of the nineteenth century great events and changes lay 
before the empire in its struggle to solve its political, social and 
religious problems. 

The reign of Maximilian marks a decided tendency toward 
centralization, while the Peasant's War threatened to undermine 
the foundations of society, and the Thirty Years' War brought 
ruin, depletion and great distress. The power of the emperors 
was diminished and the empire was broken up into a number of 
small states, the rulers of which exercised almost supreme author- 
ity within their own bounds. Something was gained in the way 
of glory in the War of Spanish Succession, but comparatively 
little benefit accrued to the empire. The same was largely true 
of the Seven Years' War, and then came the era of Napoleon, 
who subjugated Germany to his own designs. With that menace 
removed the work of consolidation was taken up, and what was 
once a great multitude of little states were reduced to thirty-five, 
and thus was constituted the German Confederation. The strug- 
gle with Austria in 1866 settled the quarrel between that state 
and Prussia, as to leadership in Germany, in the defeat of Austria, 
which excluded her from the future organization of German 
States. From this time Germany began to increase greatly in 
power and influence, having passed through this long period of 
conflict and transition. 



598 



CHAPTER I 

FROM THE REFORMATION TO THE THIRTY 
YEARS' WAR 

The Reformation cannot be considered apart from the Renais- 
sance of which it was in reality a part — the great revivals 
in learning, literature, art, commerce and discovery that swept 
over Europe. It was a period of great intellectual awakening 
which could not but result in the breaking away from the old 
order, and the demand for a greater freedom of thought in mat- 
ters of religion as well as in other respects. The mind refused to 
be dominated and have its rightful liberties curtailed and sup- 
pressed. It demanded the right to think for itself, and not have 
its ideas and conclusions determined by an established order. 

This is a peculiar characteristic of the modern era. For some 
time humanity had been struggling toward this ideal. It came 
to view, in some respects, in Scholasticism. Certain forms of 
authority that had been imposed had weakened with the exten- 
sion of culture and intellectual development. The spirit of inquiry 
and criticism began to assert itself, and things formerly believed 
and accepted were now questioned. 

We should, however, be guarded against the mistake of sup- 
posing that the Reformation was simply of religious import. It 
had its political significance. Political and social forces entered 
into this struggle for religious liberty. The religious revolution 
was representative of this growing necessity for greater freedom. 
The Reformation did not create these conditions : it was one of 
the great forms in which the new order came to expression, one 
of the currents in the great stream of progress. It was impossible 
to have the Renaissance and not a Reformation. It was, as 
already stated, a form of that radical change that had seized 
Europe in which the conflict for greater freedom and a larger 
democracy had set in. 

Historical Outline. 

I. Maximilian I, 1493-1519. War with France in Italy; the 
loss of Milan. 

599 



600 HISTORICAL FICTION 

2. Charles V, 15 19-1556. Defeated Francis I. The capture of 

Rome. The Peasants' War. Religious freedom granted 
to the Protestants. 

3. Ferdinand I, 1 556-1 564. The Catholic Reformation. 

4. Maximilian II, 1564- 1576. A period of tranquility in Ger- 

many. 

5. Rudolph II, 1576-1612. 

Conflict between Catholics and Protestants. 
Conflict with his brother Matthias. 

6. Matthias, 1612-1619. Beginning of the Thirty Years' War. 

Reigns of Maximilian I and Charles V 

It was under Maximilian that Luther began to preach the re- 
formed doctrines, but it was during the reign of Charles V that 
this faith was firmly established in Germany. Charles V was 
born at Ghent, Flanders, 1500. In 15 16 he became king of Spain 
as Charles I, and in 15 19 became Emperor of the Holy Roman 
Empire. He was present at the Diet of Worms before which 
Luther was arraigned. In 1555 he abdicated the government of 
the Netherlands, and in 1556 that of Spain in favor of his son, 
Philip II, and in the same year that of Germany in favor of his 
brother, Ferdinand I. 

The Stories 

Chronicles of the Schonberg-Cotta Family. 1862. 
Mrs. Elizabeth R. Charles 

This story takes us back to the early days of Martin Luther 
and carries forward the history of the time to the close of his 
life. Luther (1483-1546) was the son of a miner, and was born 
at Eisleben, Saxony. He was a man of the common people and 
became the leading spirit of the German Reformation. After 
graduating from the University of Erfurt and his consecration 
as priest, he taught philosophy in the University of Wittenberg. 
His studies in the Bible and Church History resulting in his drift- 
ing away from the doctrines of the Church, and the boldness of 
his utterances against its teachings aroused the Pope to action in 
condemning his writings as heretical, and demanded that he recant 



THE MODERN ERA 601 

or be sent to Rome to be tried for heresy. This order of the Pope 
Luther publicly burned. 

He nailed to the door of the church at Wittenberg his ninety- 
five theses which flew over Germany and finally over Europe. 
In 1 52 1 he was summoned to the Diet of Worms convened by 
Charles V. Many national assemblies were held in this city, but 
the most important was this diet in which Luther refused to 
renounce his doctrines, and defended his work as a reformer 
before the emperor. "The memoir of Luther's life is insepa- 
rably interwoven with the history of the German Reformation. 
It was he who began and carried it forward, and who was its 
animating spirit. Hence all histories of the Reformation begin 
with him, and have him for their chief subject. Endowed with 
extraordinary force and with a versatile genius, bold and vigor- 
ous, radical yet conservative, a ready speaker and a prolific writer, 
he was well fitted to be the great leader in the most important 
movement of modern times." 

Thus the time had now come when the Germans were to render 
to mankind one of the greatest services they would ever be able 
to contribute. The great religious reformation that was to alter 
the course of human history had its origin and support in this 
sturdy vigorous race. 

The author of this story published upwards of a score of 
works, but she is best known by "The Chronicles of the Schon- 
berg-Cotta Family." It has its setting in the life and times of 
Luther and gives the records of a Protestant family during that 
time. The father of this family is a printer in poor circumstances 
having eight children to support. An Aunt, Ursula Cotta, adopts 
Martin Luther. He becomes the companion and school-comrade 
of Friedrich at the University of Erfurt, and the two are still 
associated during their stay in the monastery. They go to Rome 
and there witness proceedings that alter their attitude to the 
papacy. Friedrich remains the faithful supporter of the great 
reformer. The trip to Rome is a historical fact. Luther was 
commissioned to go to that city on an ecclesiastical mission, and 
what he saw there, the head and center of the Church, was so 
distinctly the contrary of what he expected to behold and by which 
his spiritual enthusiasm had been inspired in his anticipation, 
that he became profoundly disappointed and disgusted. 



602 HISTORICAL FICTION 

The Sword of the Lord. 1900. Joseph Hocking 

At the beginning of the sixteenth century, Western Europe 
acknowledged the Pope as the head of the Church ; but there was 
a growing discontent, and his authority began to be looked upon 
as inconsistent with the authority and rights of civil rulers. Prac- 
tices in the Church were called in question. The papal power, 
that at one time was almost absolute in temporal matters, became 
weakened, and became greatly more so by the dispute regarding 
papal succession known as the Great Schism of the West. Within 
the Church itself there was crying need of reform. Then came 
the breaking away and the refusal to acknowledge the Pope's 
authority. Considering the relation between Church and State 
and the position of the Pope in the latter, the Reformation marks 
an era of radical political as well as religious changes. 

The inception and growth of this new religious movement 
under the great impulse of Luther are presented in a well bal- 
anced manner in this story. The one making the investigation 
of these new tenets, and the general reform work of Luther, is a 
Britisher commissioned by Henry VIII. While the story is in 
sympathy with the reform movement, the statement of the facts 
does not savor of partiality or prejudice. 

In the Blue Pike. 1896. Georg Ebers 

The time of this story is at the very beginning of Luther's 
work ; more especially it deals with one of the existing conditions 
at which Luther and the reformers struck a severe blow. It 
describes the scenes in an inn to which Johann Tetzel comes. He 
was a German monk. The Archbishop of Mayence proclaimed 
an indulgence in his diocese. While this was not new in itself 
"Tetzel, the peddler of indulgences, pressed his trade with peculiar 
impudence. He boasted that he had brought more souls to heaven 
by his indulgences than all the apostles by their preaching." He 
made these sales in the vicinity of Wittenberg where Luther was 
teaching theology. Luther noted the impression this traffic made 
upon the minds of credulous people, and his heart burned with 
righteous indignation. Ebers describes the scene and its impor- 
tant bearings. 



THE MODERN ERA 603 

The Friar of Wittenberg. 1912. William S. Davis 

This is a story of the early years of Luther's reform work. 
One of the first acts of the Reformation was the publication of 
the ninety-five theses in which Luther bitterly denounced the sale 
of indulgences, and which he fastened to the door of the church. 
In these he declared "that the Pope possessed no power to remit 
sins himself, but only to pronounce their remission by God ; that 
whatever power the Pope might possess was equally shared by 
every bishop and prelate ; that whoever sincerely repented of his 
sins would receive remission without the indulgences; that the 
treasures of the Saviour were so equally distributed and shared 
in by the faithful, that the Pope could not impart to them any 
fresh claim." 

The attitude of the Diet of Worms (1512) was decidedly 
against Luther. The Elector, favoring him, could not without 
danger to himself prohibit the decree from being executed, and 
the only way out of the difficulty that secured Luther's safety 
was to have him disappear. A few days afterwards he was 
stopped on the road by five men and carried to the castle of Wart- 
burg. For nearly a year he was retained here. It was during this 
period that he began the translation of the Bible that was des- 
tined to exert such a powerful influence on German literature. 
There had been no translations from the original tongues, "and 
none in the terse, clear style that appealed so strongly to the north 
and south, as to make them forget their differences of dialect, 
and accept this as their highest model of literary excellence." 

This story details these events in the life of the reformer from 
the time of the propagation of the theses, through the scenes at 
Worms, to his capture and retention in the castle. 



True Heart. 1898. Frederick Breton 

The Swiss soldiers, who had distinguished themselves by 
their mode of warfare, were in great demand as mercenaries, and 
were especially sought by the Italian princes. They left their 
homes by thousands to obtain both pay and pleasure in this serv- 
ice, and in doing so became famous on every Italian battlefield. 
Francis I of France claimed Milan and supported his claim by 



604 HISTORICAL FICTION 

force of arms. He defeated the Swiss in the plains of Marig- 
nano (1515). So greatly did Francis admire the valor of the 
Swiss infantry in this battle that he made them an annuity, and 
stipulated that he be permitted to secure troops in Switzerland. 
Francis and Charles V from this time were almost constantly 
at war with each other. At Pavia (1525) Francis was defeated 
and was made a prisoner. At Madrid he was compelled to sign 
a most humiliating treaty of peace and was released. But he made 
an alliance with the Pope, who was apprehensive of the power 
of Charles in Italy, and the war was renewed. 

This story relates to this period of the reform movement and 
carries the events from the time of the defeat of the Swiss to the 
victory of Charles V, a period of ten years. Thus the story opens 
just before the beginning of Luther's activities as a reformer, 
and carries the events to the time when the new movement was 
making great headway. Both the military operations of the time, 
and the interest in the new doctrines are gathered up in the gen- 
eral train of events, together with the prevailing political and 
social conditions. 



In the Olden Time. 1883. Margaret Roberts 

The people of Germany had for long been under the oppres- 
sion of feudal conditions. The breaking up of old orders, of 
which the Reformation at this time was an expression and an 
instance, no doubt had its influence upon the peasants in the insur- 
rection known as the Peasants' War (1524-25). The immediate 
cause of it was religious enthusiasm. Before the war broke out 
Luther opposed and rebuked the fanaticism that was paving the 
way for such an outbreak, and after the insurgents engaged in 
their atrocities he wrote a pamphlet against their actions. They 
had hoped that Luther would aid them in their uprising, which he 
refused to do, not only because of their methods, but also because 
he insisted that religious and political matters should be kept 
apart. The revolt was put down and almost one hundred thou- 
sand peasants paid the penalty with their lives. This war had a 
tremendously unsettling effect upon the social foundations of 
the empire. 



THE MODERN ERA 605 

This is a story of these two years when Germany was torn 
by this insurrection. 

The Cripple of Nuremberg. 1900. Felicia B. Clark 

The Diet of Augsburg was convened in 1530, at which the 
Protestants submitted their confession of faith by Philip Melanch- 
thon, the associate of Luther, known as the Augsburg Confes- 
sion, a cornerstone of Protestantism. The Catholic party declared 
that all innovations should be forcibly suppressed, and Charles 
V dismissed the Diet threatening severe measures. Judicial pro- 
cesses were instituted and the breach grew wider. 

At Smalcald in March 1531 the Protestant party assembled 
and formed the "Smalcaldic League" which was joined by many 
princes and cities. Ulrich of Wirtemberg, who had been ban- 
ished, returned when Wirtemberg was added to the reformed 
counties and joined the league. It was greatly strengthened by 
the incorporation of other territories ; in fact nearly all the Pro- 
testant princes belonged to it. 

Maurice of Saxony deserted the league and joined the Em- 
peror, and the Duke of Alba was his lieutenant. The Emperor 
marched his force up the left bank of the Elbe while the Elector 
was on the opposite bank near Muhlberg. Covered by the fog 
the Emperor crossed the river at a ford and took the Elector by 
surprise and his forces fled. Later Maurice of Saxony returned 
to the faith he had betrayed, marched against the Emperor and 
defeated him, and in 1555 the Religious Peace of Augsburg was 
signed. Religious freedom was thus secured, and the right to 
promote the Reformation in their own territories was granted 
the princes. 

In this story the facts pertaining to the Smalcaldic League are 
set forth in connection with the difficulties attending the reform 
movement. These leading personages figure in the story in their 
various positions, and it describes the movements on both sides 
culminating in the battle of Muhlberg. 



CHAPTER II 
THE THIRTY YEARS' WAR 

This war (1618-1648) arose as a religious struggle between 
the Protestant and Catholic princes of Germany, but deteriorated 
into a conflict for territory and political power. It had its roots 
in the manner in which the religious situation was left in the 
Peace of Augsburg, which left open opportunities for religious 
contentions. It permitted such an interpretation of its terms as 
to expel Protestants from certain districts. Again, in this treaty 
no provision had been made by which religious toleration should 
be extended to Calvinists, the number of whom had greatly in- 
creased in Germany. It was demanded also that the Catholic 
Church lands seized by Lutheran princes of North Germany be 
restored. 

Following the accession of Ferdinand to the throne of Bohemia 
in 161 7, a quarrel arose involving the right of the Protestants to 
build a certain church. The king, who was a pronounced Cath- 
olic, decided against the Protestants. A number of Protestants, 
led by Count Thurn, in May 1618, went to the palace at Prague 
and hurled from the windows two representatives of the Crown. 
It only required such an incident, under the tension that then 
existed, to start the war. It was not long before the war spread 
to the neighboring Hapsburg states. 

There were four stages to the war, each of which was virtu- 
ally an independent war. 

1. The Bohemian-Palatinate Stage, 1618-1623. 

2. The Danish Stage, 1625-1629. 

3. The Swedish Stage, 1630- 1635. 

4. The Swedish-French Stage, 1635- 1648. 

It will be seen that this conflict came to involve almost all the 
states of the continent. The cruelties of this extended war beg- 
gar description. It brought untold ruin to Germany and dimin- 
ished the power of the emperor; whole provinces were desolated 

606 



THE MODERN ERA 607 

and the population decreased by one half. It required two cen- 
turies for Germany to recover from the effects of this war. 

The war was brought to a close by the Peace of Westphalia, 
by which the Peace of Augsburg was sustained and extended so 
that Calvinists were included in its provisions; the administra- 
tion of the empire should be shared equally by Catholics and Pro- 
testants. The Pope refused to sanction the treaty and rejected 
concessions made to the Protestants, but no attention was paid 
to him by either Catholics or Protestants, and at this time the 
direct influence of the Pope in European politics ceases. "The 
importance of the peace of Westphalia was very great, for it 
marked the close of one epoch and the opening of another. The 
long series of religious wars growing out of the Reformation was 
now at an end." 

The Stories 
Heidelberg. 1846. George P. R. James 

This story deals with the first stage of the war, when Ferdi- 
nand was deposed from the throne of Bohemia and it was offered 
to Frederick Elector Palatine. The object of this was that he 
would bring the strength of the Palatinate into the struggle, and 
being the son-in-law of James I of England it was hoped that the 
power of the latter might be secured in behalf of the Protestants. 
In this, however, they were disappointed. Ferdinand had the 
support of Maximilian of Bavaria and the king of Spain, and 
Frederick was defeated near Prague in the battle of White Moun- 
tain (1620), the Protestants thus suffering defeat. Following 
this battle Frederick fled from Bohemia. 

This story gives a vivid description of Heidelberg, situated 
on the Neckar in one of the most beautiful districts of Germany. 
The Court of Frederick, called "the winter-king," is well por- 
trayed. The attempt to secure the throne of Bohemia, as noted 
above, his defeat at Prague, and the over-running of the Palat- 
inate by the Spaniards, are well set forth. 

The Lion of the North. 1885. George A. Henty 

Gustavus Adolphus, king of Sweden, sympathized with the 
Protestants who were under the oppression of Ferdinand II, and 



608 HISTORICAL FICTION 

viewed with apprehension the success of Wallenstein, a Bohemian 
nobleman who offered to raise a force of 20,000 in the service 
of Ferdinand. Within a few months Wallenstein had 50,000 
troops. Gustavus Adolphus "was the greatest military genius of 
the age." In 1630 he entered Germany and in a brief time had 
taken nearly all of Pomerania. He defeated the imperial gen- 
erals at Leipzig, Wurzburg, Breitenfeld and conquered a great 
part of Germany. He was killed in the battle of Lutzen, riddled 
with bullets, but his army won the battle. His death was an irre- 
parable loss to the Protestants. Magdeburg, the strong center of 
Protestantism, was besieged by Tilly. Gustavus Adolphus was 
unable to come to its rescue, and it fell in May 1631. The hordes 
of Tilly, the dregs of all nations, fired and sacked the city. 

This story deals with the Swedish phase of the war, setting 
forth the operations of Gustavus Adolphus, his victories and his 
death. Wallenstein escaped death in the battle of Lutzen, but 
the emperor became suspicious of him and took away his com- 
mand. He then treated with the Swedes, and while on his way 
to meet the Protestant troops he was assassinated. These events 
are detailed by the story, which also gives the battle of Nord- 
lingen. This battle restored the emperor's power in upper Ger- 
many. 



The King's Ring. 1901. Zacharias Topelius 

This Swedish-Finish poet and novelist (1818-1898) was born 
at Kuddnas. He was educated at the University of Helsingfors. 
From 1853 t0 J ^7^ ne was tne Professor of the history of Fin- 
land and the North. As a lyric poet he ranks high and is second 
only to Runeberg. His children's stories are translated into many 
languages. 

This story has its setting in this same period of the war. The 
great work of Gustavus Adolphus at Breitenfeld and Lutzen, and 
his important place in the struggle, are well distinguished. The 
decisive victory of the imperialists at Nordlingen is also described. 
The story is also full of interest in the manner in which the life 
of that time in Sweden and Germany is portrayed. 



THE MODERN ERA 609 

The Story of a Cat and a Cake. 1896. Mary Bramston 

Nuremberg, a city of Bavaria, celebrated for the invention of 
watches in the fifteenth century, was one of the first of the imper- 
ial towns to espouse the cause of the Reformation. It suffered 
greatly during the war. When Wallenstein threatened this Pro- 
testant city, Gustavus Adolphus could not afford to have it taken 
and hastened to its defence. He and Wallenstein approached 
the city almost at the same time, and the latter secured an exceed- 
ingly strong position. For nine weeks the two armies held their 
positions. Want of supplies at last compelled the Swedish king 
to make the attack, but Wallenstein's position was too strong. 
With the flower of his army dead on the field the king passed on 
to the Danube to change the fighting ground, but, instead of fol- 
lowing him, Wallenstein marched to Saxony. 

These operations about Nuremberg constitute the historical 
basis of this story as also the movements of the war as effecting 
Bohemia. 



The Black Cuirassier. 1906. Philip L. Stevenson 

As noted above, instead of following Gustavus Adolphus when 
leaving Nuremberg, Wallenstein sent Pappenheim into West- 
phalia. Learning this fact, the king at once led forward his army 
to attack Wallenstein. It was the deadly battle on the plain of 
Lutzen in which the Swedish king fell and Wallenstein was de- 
feated. Pappenheim was recalled from Halle and joined Wallen- 
stein just in time for the battle, in which the former was also 
killed. 

This lieutenant holds an important place in this story. Wal- 
lenstein left Pilsen and came to Eger and took up his quarters 
in the house of the burgomaster. Captain Devereux, at the head 
of six dragoons, at midnight, forced the door of Wallenstein's 
room and rushing in exclaimed "Death to Wallenstein." With- 
out a word the latter bared his breast and the blow was struck. 
He had already been deposed by the emperor, and was now seek- 
ing to treat with the other party. The emperor instigated his 
assassination. Captain Devereux occupies the largest place in 
Stevenson's story. 



610 HISTORICAL FICTION 

My Lady's Kiss. 1908. Norman Innes 

What has already been set forth in the sketch relative to the 
devastating effect of the war, and the ruination it spread on all 
sides, is well described in this story. 

Won by the Sword. 1900. George A. Henty 

The death of Gustavus Adolphus occurred in 1632, and Wal- 
lenstein was murdered in 1634. We now come to the closing 
period of the war. Up to this time France had been held in the 
background by Richelieu, but now came forward. It is now 
the Swedish-French phase of the war (1635-1648). The theater 
of military action was Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, and 
the design of France was to take advantage of the conflict in ex- 
tending her bounds to the northeast. Directed by her able min- 
isters, Richelieu and Mazarin, and her forces under the command 
of the two great generals, Turenne and Conde, France gained 
the ascendency The power of Spain was broken and Germany 
was devastated. 

This story brings forward the history of this period, detailing 
the operations of the two French generals. The victory of Conde 
over the Spaniards at Rocroy, a frontier town of northern France 
(1643) ; the battle between the French and Germans at Freiburg, 
and the victory of Conde and Turenne near Nordlingen. 

By the Peace of Westphalia (1648) came to an end one of the 
most ruinous wars of history, characterized by atrocities of the 
most horrible and revolting nature. 



CHAPTER III 

FROM THE PEACE OF WESTPHALIA TO THE 
PEACE OF PARIS 

By the treaty of Westphalia, Germany was completely dis- 
integrated, broken up into two hundred independent states. These 
became small monarchies, and their support of the emperor was 
very nominal. The imperial power was practically ruined. "The 
war had impoverished Germany beyond measure ; national feeling 
had been crushed out and all unity had been destroyed. Most of 
the rulers of the states were despots, who desired only to pattern 
themselves after Louis XIV, the absolute monarch of France." 

Following the Thirty Years' War Prussia holds the leading 
place in the interest in German history. This state was greatly 
advanced by Frederick William, the Great Elector. The following 
is an outline of this period of 167 years. 

Frederick William, the Great Elector, 1640- 1688. 

Founder of Prussian greatness. 
Frederick I, 1688-1713. Reigned as king from 1701. 
Frederick William I, 1713-1740. 

Reformed the finances. Founder of army discipline. 
Frederick the Great, 1740- 1786. 

Silesia wrested from Austria. 

Seven Years' War. 

Accessions by the partition of Poland. 
Frederick William II, 1786- 1797. 
Frederick William III, 1 797-1840. 

The Coalition against France. 

Victories of Napoleon. 

War of Liberation, 181 3-14. 

Territorial increase on the Rhine, Saxony, etc. 

The Stories 

The Wizard King. 1895. David Ker 

After taking Constantinople in 1453 the Turks came in great 
numbers to Hungary. They practically controlled the country 
and compelled the Hungarians to pay tribute. During the Refor- 

611 



612 HISTORICAL FICTION 

mation this aggressiveness of the Turks was regarded with much 
uneasiness. In 1663 during the reign of emperor Leopold a great 
Turkish army marched against Hungary and Austria. Forces 
from various countries were sent to aid them in crushing the 
Moslem, which purpose was accomplished by a splendid victory 
in which the Turks were completely defeated at Montecuccoli 
in 1664. 

In 1682 an insurrection under Tockely spread over Hungary. 
Mohammed IV recognized him as king of Hungary on condition 
that he pay an annual tribute to the Porte. The Turks supported 
him with an army of 230,000 which was conducted through Hun- 
gary to Vienna. The city was in a poor state to resist an attack. 
The Turks surrounded it ; it was defended most bravely while 
troops were sent from different states. After the siege had lasted 
for eight weeks, Charles of Lorraine came with the imperial army 
made up of the flower of the German youth. John Sobieski, the 
pious king of Poland, joined him with a large Polish force. The 
Turks were decisively defeated and their camp with its rich sup- 
plies was captured. It was their last military effort on German 
soil. 

This historical event, the insurrection, the Turkish force, the 
troops under John Sobieski and their splendid victory and the 
saving of Vienna, constitute the leading interest of this story. 

Silesian and Seven Years' Wars 

In 1740 Frederick the Great had at his command one of flie 
finest armies of Europe. He had scarcely any claims to Silesia, 
which fell within the domains of Charles VI and was inherited 
by his daughter Maria Theresa. Without any declaration of war 
Frederick invested Silesia with his army and defeated the Aus- 
trians at Mollwitz (1741). Then for eight years followed the 
general war of the Austrian Succession. In 1742 Maria Theresa 
signed the peace of Berlin which gave Frederick the whole of 
Silesia, and thus ended the first Silesian War. 

In the Second Silesian War (1744-45) Frederick took up 
arms to hold what had already been ceded to him. At the Peace 
of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748) a general peace was signed by which 
Maria Theresa was acknowledged as sovereign of the Hapsburg 



THE MODERN ERA 613 

lands, while Silesia remained in the possession of Prussia. Eight 
years after the signing of this peace treaty the Seven Years' War 
broke out. 

The Stories 

The Surge of War. 1906. Norman Innes 

The stories comprising this work deal with the states involved 
in these wars and military operations of this period. 

With Frederick the Great 1897. George A. Henty 

The Seven Years' War between Prussia and other European 
nations (1756-63) had its roots in the Silesian Wars by which 
Maria Theresa lost Silesia. Determined to recover the territory, 
she formed an alliance with Russia, had the support of Poland 
and Saxony and sought closer relations with France. 

In 1755, war breaking out between England and France, the 
former secured an alliance with Prussia in the interests of her 
German states, and France formed an alliance with Austria 
against Prussia. This was the mixed-up state of things when this 
war opened. When Frederick invaded Saxony and defeated its 
army he found himself in conflict with Austria, Russia, France, 
Sweden and the German Empire. England was his ally. He won 
a bloody battle at Prague, but defeated at Kolin, he was driven 
back to Saxony. He then routed the imperial forces at Rossbach, 
returned to Silesia, defeated the Austrian army at Leuthen and 
thus restored Silesia. 

In 1759 at Kunersdorf he met with a crushing defeat, and the 
next year by the death of George II and the change in the Eng- 
lish ministry, he lost his ally. In 1762 both sides were worn 
out, and in the following year peace was concluded. Prussia 
retained Silesia. 

This story traces the movements and operations of the war, 
the great battles fought. The defeat of the Austrians at Lowositz, 
and at Prague ; the defeat of the French and Imperialists at Ross- 
bach ; the Austrians defeated at Leuthen ; Frederick defeated by 
Leopold Daun at Hochkirchen, and his army crushed by Russians 
and Austrians at Kunersdorf; Frederick defeated Laudon at 
Liegnitz and Daun at Torgau ; Ferdinand of Brunswick defeated 
the French at Minden, 



6i4 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Other Stories: 

The Governor's Daughter (1911) by Norman Innes, giving 
the events of the early period of the war. 

Gendarme of the King (1905) by Philip L. Stevenson, in which 
a Scotchman passes through the war. 

Goethe and Schiller. 1868. Louise Muhlbach 

Three years after the Seven Years' War broke out was born 
one of the greatest of German dramatists and poets, Johann 
Friedrich Schiller (1759- 1805), and ten years prior to his birth 
the greatest genius in German literature, Johann Wolfgang von 
Goethe (1748-1832), who holds the same place in German litera- 
ture that Shakespeare does in English. Schiller stands second 
only to Goethe, and his works have as great or possibly a greater 
number of readers. 

Schiller belonged to the time of Frederick the Great and 
passed through that stirring period, and also that of the French 
Revolution. Napoleon was coming to power when Schiller's life 
had run its course, while Goethe passed through the years 
of the Napoleonic domination and the subjugation of Germany 
to his imperial designs. 

Schiller was born at Marbach, Wurtemberg. His father had 
charge of the grounds of a residence of the Duke of Wurtemberg 
from which fact his son derived a benefit in that the Duke placed 
him in a military academy at the castle of Solitude of which he 
was the founder. At this place he studied jurisprudence, but 
afterwards turned his attention to medicine. In 1781 he pub- 
lished The Robbers at his own expense, and in the following year 
it was played at Mannheim. He was arrested for attending the 
performance without securing permission from the Duke, who 
also forbade him to write plays. From this sort of tyranny Schil- 
ler released himself and fled from Stuttgart, to which point the 
academy had been removed, and took up his residence at Mann- 
heim where he became poet to the theater. 

In Leipzig and Dresden (1785) he prepared himself for the 
writing of his Don Carlos. Two years later he was accorded a 
welcome at Weimar by Wieland and Herder, and later formed an 
intimate acquaintance with Goethe. The latter secured for him 
the chair of history at the University of Jena, where he wrote his 



THE MODERN ERA 615 

History of the Thirty Years' War, and it was through the advice 
of Goethe that he returned to the field of poetry, where he did his 
greatest work. 

The leading interest in this story is the life of Schiller. Mann- 
heim, which is one of the scenes, is in the grand duchy of Baden 
on the Rhine. The grand-ducal palace consists of the finest build- 
ings of that class in Germany. It is the leading commercial town 
of the upper Rhine, having large manufacturing interests. Wei- 
mar is another scene that figures in the story. It is the capital 
of the Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar, near Leipzig. The city is 
celebrated for its close association with the classical epoch of 
German literature. Weimar at once brings before the mind 
Goethe, Schiller, Herder and Wieland who lived here, and other 
literary geniuses who came to the Court of Weimar. In the cem- 
etery in the southern part of the town are the remains of Goethe 
and Schiller. Both of their residences are now buildings of pub- 
lic interest. The story introduces many leading personages. 

The German fiction that has its historical setting in the Napo- 
leonic Era, was taken up in that connection in our French Studies 
for the sake of unity in the treatment of that time. The reader 
is therefore referred to that section of this volume for the fiction 
that relates to German interests of that period. 



CHAPTER IV 

THE GERMAN CONFEDERATION AND 
EMPIRE 

To the Franco-German War 

In our studies in the Napoleonic Era we followed the designs 
of Napoleon regarding Europe, and saw that his intention was 
to add Germany, or at least the confederated states, to his em- 
pire. His scheme was shattered. When the Congress of Vienna 
met for the reconstruction now rendered necessary by the chaotic 
state into which the affairs of Europe had been thrown by the 
operations of Napoleon for the past fifteen years, the German 
states were formed into a confederation, at the head of which, 
as its president ,was the Emperor of Austria. 

In matters of internal legislation each state was to have its 
own form of government, was to be independent, and it was pro- 
vided that points of interstate interest or disagreements should 
be settled by a diet. It was proposed in 1848, in a national con- 
ference at Berlin, that a national constitution be drawn up, but 
this was rendered abortive by the old-time rivalry between Prus- 
sia and Austria. 

It was the policy of Bismarck that "made possible the final 
firm union of the German nation. The rivalry between Prussia 
and Austria was encouraged by Bismarck, who was making ready 
for the struggle which he knew would come." It came in 1866 
in the Seven Weeks' War in which Prussia gained her end, and 
the North German Confederation was formed, at the head of 
which was the King of Prussia. In 1870 Wurtemberg, Baden 
and Bavaria entered the Confederation. The spirit of nationality 
was awakened at this time when the country was flushed with 
victory over the defeat of France, and the German Confederation 
evolved into the German Empire, and in 1871 the king of Prussia 
was proclaimed German Emperor. 

616 



THE MODERN ERA 617 

The Stories 
The Stronger Wings. 1909. A. Jeans 

In 1848 a revolutionary wave swept over Europe. This up- 
heaval was clearly indicative of the unsettledness of the time. In 
France the general discontent burst into a flame upon so small 
a matter as the prohibition of a reform banquet at Paris ; slight 
riots attended this and finally a revolution of far-reaching con- 
sequences. 

In the Austrian Empire it combined two things : the "resist- 
ance of the liberals to the iron rule of Metternich, and movements 
of different peoples of the empire for separate nationality." Leger 
in his history has observed relative to this upheaval that "no 
country has so tangled a history to offer us of any period of its 
existence as Austria during the years 1848-49. In a united coun- 
try revolution has but one center towards which all the provin- 
cial movements gravitate ; but here we have to follow popular 
risings in Vienna, Venice, Pesth, Prague, Agram, Lemberg, all 
at the same time. Within this empire three great races felt simul- 
taneously the sudden shock, and rushed towards liberty by three 
different and opposite paths, and their various interests and old 
rivalries led to conflicts among themselves, which rendered their 
generous efforts of no avail and for a long time destroyed their 
hopes." 

It is with the revolutionary spirit of this time in Austria that 
this story deals. Clemens Wenzel Metternich, an Austrian states- 
man, in great measure shaped the policies not only of Austria, 
but of other Continental powers. It was a reactionary policy 
and opposed to the sentiment of nationality. The revolution 
drove him from office and he fled to England. While the soldiers 
tried to disperse the mobs in the streets of Vienna, the latter cried 
out "Down with Metternich I" They burned his house and he left 
the town in a washer-woman's cart. 

These scenes of riot are described by the story. The emperor 
formed the students into a regiment and placed Windischgratz, 
who proclaimed a state of siege, at the head of the forces. Met- 
ternich holds a principal place in the story, and these military 
operations are set forth. 



618 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Red, White and Green. 1900. Herbert Hay ens 

When the news of the revolution of February in France 
reached Austria, students and citizens in Vienna set up a demand 
for freedom in matters of education, speech, religion, the press 
and a representative government. Louis Kossuth demanded re- 
forms, a Hungarian constitution that would make it a separate 
state wholly free from the rest of the empire. In the streets of 
Prague, Czechs fought Germans, and everywhere was a wave of 
liberalism and national sentiment. In April the Hungarians issued 
a declaration of independence from Hapsburg rule, and instituted 
a republican government with Kossuth as president. When it 
seemed that the revolt was going to succeed, the Czar of Russia 
sent an army of 200,000 to support Austria. By the middle of 
August the revolution was suppressed. Kossuth and others fled 
to Turkey and then followed a crushing of all liberal and national 
sentiments. "The one lasting reform brought about was the 
sweeping away of the remains of feudalism in the Austrian Em- 
pire." 

This story is a description of this Hungarian revolt seeking 
separation from Austria, and the manner in which it was crushed 
by the Russian troops. Kossuth, who organized the battalions, 
is a leading figure, also General Gorgey, Dembinski the Pole, and 
other leaders on both sides. 

The Tragic Comedians. 1880. George Meredith 

The author (1828- 1909), an English poet and novelist, was 
born in Hampshire and was educated in Germany. For a time 
he studied law. He then devoted himself to literature. "The 
Ordeal of Richard Feverel" appeared in 1859. This was his first 
novel, and subsequently novels and poems were steadily produced 
from time to time. Some of the works that have contributed to 
his fame as a leading novelist are The Egoist, Diana of the Cross- 
ways, Rhoda Fleming, The Adventures of Harry Richmond. 

The historical interest of this story centers in Ferdinand 
Lasalle (1825-1864). He was educated at the University of Ber- 
lin. He subscribed to the doctrines of Socialism, and then took 
a prominent part in the democratic agitations in 1848 when the 



THE MODERN ERA 619 

revolutionary spirit swept over Europe. His activities at this time 
resulted in imprisonment for a year. His System of Acquired 
Rights was published in 1861, and from that time he devoted his 
energies to labor organizations, proposing to the laboring classes 
the need of organization for the securing and protection of their 
rights. This led to the charge of sedition by the government and 
he was again imprisoned for four months. After regaining his 
liberty he founded a labor union (1863), and from that time 
until his death he devoted himself to the propagation of social- 
istic doctrines. 

In Germany socialism has reached a great development. The 
party has become sufficiently strong in that country to determine 
governmental action to a certain extent. 

John of Gerisau. 1902. John Oxenham 

To protect the Germans of Schleswig and Holstein, who were 
under Spanish rule, Prussia and Austria in 1864 waged war 
against Denmark. It resulted in the two duchies being placed 
under the rule of these two powers. The conflict between these 
two states that Bismarck foresaw, occurred in 1866, and was 
brought about by the unscrupulous diplomacy of that statesman, 
arising from the war with Denmark. Because of the support 
that Austria received from the South German States, from Han- 
over and other states in North Germany, it seemed a foregone 
conclusion that Prussia would suffer a decided defeat. Italy, 
however, to secure the province of Venetia, had promised to sup- 
port Prussia. 

The war lasted just seven weeks, and is known as the Seven 
Weeks' War. The Prussians had a decided advantage in having 
breech-loading guns against the old muzzle-loaders of the Aus- 
trians. Another great asset was the efficient Moltke to direct the 
field operations. The splendid preparation and organization of 
the Prussian army, and the dispatch with which the Prussians 
conducted the war, brought it speedily to a close. In the battle of 
Sadowa the Austrians were crushed. Venetia was given to Italy, 
Schleswig-Holstein and the North German states were annexed 
to Prussia, and the new Confederation was given a strong federal 
government. This war brought to an end the dominating influ- 
ence Austria had exercised over German affairs. In 1867 the dual 



620 HISTORICAL FICTION 

monarchy of Austria-Hungary was created with a separate parlia- 
ment and ministry for Hungary. 

This story deals with the schemes of Prussia relative to small 
states, and the conditions under which Bismarck accomplished 
his object in bringing about the war with Austria, and the war 
itself. It traces the historical and political movements through 
the Franco-German War. 

The Franco-German War 

This conflict, together with all the circumstances leading to it, 
the designs of Napoleon III and Bismarck, the attitude of the 
French people, the progress of the war and humiliating defeat of 
the French, are all set forth in the section dealing with France 
of this period. The reader is directed to that section for the his- 
tory and the stories relating to this conflict. 

In 1883 the Triple Alliance was formed including Germany, 
Austria-Hungary and Italy. Since the Franco-German War, 
German interests have been greatly developed and organized. 
Since 1884 she became something of a colonial power through her 
holdings in Africa and Oceanica. The port of Kiao-Chau in 
China was ceded to her in 1898. The late war has radically altered 
the political situation in Germany, and it remains to be seen, with 
the Kaiser off the throne, what form her policies will take, and 
out of the present chaos what sort of order will be restored, and 
what definite form her political organization will assume. 



ITALY 

CHAPTER I 
TO THE FALL OF NAPOLEON 

When Columbus left the Old World on a voyage which re- 
sulted in finding a New World, Italy was the most intellectual 
state of Europe. She was then passing through a brilliant period 
of the Renaissance, which, in painting, reached its height from 
1474 to 1550. Michaelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci were paint- 
ing their masterpieces, and Raphael, the prince of painters, was 
within a few years of his brilliant achievements. Columbus was 
a native of this land that at this time was shedding its intellectual 
light upon the other nations of Europe. 

From the middle of the fourteenth century to the end of the 
fifteenth we have only the annals of powerful cities and the great 
families by which they were ruled. From the opening of the 
modern era to the fall of Napoleon Italy was the scene of inva- 
sion and foreign domination and was without unity or sense of 
nationalism. This period with its changing events has furnished 
the * historical settings for many excellent works in the field of 
fiction, which we now proceed to note in their historical relations. 

Contentions of Invaders 

The struggle for the domination of Italy began in 1494 with 
the French invasion, and from that year was a series of invasions 
by the French, Austrians, and Spaniards until Italy was divided 
up as pleased the invaders. It was not unlike the invasion of 
ancient times prior to and bringing about the fall of the Western 
Roman Empire. 

The Stories 

Agnes of Sorrento. 1 862. Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe 

Lorenzo de Medici had greatly contributed to the prosperous 
state of Italy prior to the French invasion. He did much to 

621 



622 HISTORICAL FICTION 

bring Florence to her state of intellectual ascendency. In the 
midst of the uncertain and unsettled state of the time arose a 
great figure in Florentine society and politics — Girolamo Savona- 
rola. Here he kindled an enthusiasm and engaged the attention 
of the people as few men have been able to do. "Savonarola was 
the reincarnation of a Hebrew prophet, a Florentine Habakkuk, 
passionately sure of the moral government of God, passionately 
convinced that the wickedness of Italy must bring its own pun- 
ishment and purification." This great preacher won the ear of 
the people. He was uncompromising in his preaching of right- 
eousness and judgment ; in his denunciation of political and spir- 
itual evils, and with his mighty eloquence proclaimed that God 
would punish Italy. His prophetical utterances were so specific, 
and corresponded so well with the invasion of Charles VIII of 
France (1494) that he was hailed as a prophet. 

Savonarola had much to do with the framing of the Florentine 
constitution, and set himself as a bulwark in defence of the Re- 
public against the pretensions of the Medici to regain their polit- 
ical control. Pope Alexander VI feared this mighty evangel and 
excommunicated him. He had strong political enemies, and the 
Medici used their influence against him. Finally his hold upon 
the people weakened; he was cast into prison, was condemned 
and executed (1498). 

The religious and social state of this time is portrayed in this 
story, setting forth the restless and unstable conditions, amd the 
political influences at work. The character, labors and death of 
Savonarola occupy an important place. It tells the story of a 
girl whose Christian spirit is contrasted with the irreligious atti- 
tude of the man who loves her. 

Romola. 1863. George Eliot 

This story gives us a view of Florentine society in the days 
of Lorenzo de Medici, who was called the Magnificent. His 
munificence drew all classes to him and his sovereignty was abso- 
lute. He stimulated all intellectual pursuits, founded academies 
and was the patron of learning and the arts in every way. 

These are the days of the great preacher of San Marco. 
Savonarola, the character and work of whom are finely portrayed. 



THE MODERN ERA 623 

Romola "was largely the outcome of a visit the novelist paid to 
Italy. With rim ideas of the story in her mind, she made exhaus- 
tive researches in the Florentine libraries, gathering historical and 
topographical details of the city and its life as they were in the 
medieval period which she was setting herself to recreate. She 
was engaged upon it for eighteen months, always in doubt and 
sometimes in despair of her ability to accomplish the task. The 
writing of 'Romola' is said to have 'ploughed into her' more than 
any of her other books." 

Romola is the daughter of a Florentine merchant, and, as 
Stephen says, "she is one of the few figures who occupy a promi- 
nent and peculiar niche in the great gallery of fiction." Tito 
Melema is well portrayed. He lacks stamina and fortitude, and 
is controlled by his horror for anything unpleasant, and in side- 
stepping every such thing he steps in the way of the base and 
ignoble and betrays every trust reposed in him, caring only for 
his own pleasure We cannot feel sorry for him as he comes 
to his end at the hands of Baldassare. 

The portrayal of Savonarola is one of the finest features of 
the work, whether it be in the great energy of his activities, the 
spiritual grandeur of his character and aims, or his meditations 
in the prison awaiting his trial and passing his judgment upon the 
"trial by fire." In, one characterization contained within a sen- 
tence the author says : "Savonarola's nature was one of those 
in which opposing tendencies coexist in almost equal strength ; the 
passionate sensibility which, impatient of definite thought, floods 
every idea with emotion and tends towards contemplative ecstasy, 
alternated in him with a keen perception of outward facts and a 
vigorous practical judgment of men and things." 

The Scarlet Seal. Joyce E. Muddock 

Rodrigo Borgia became Pope Alexander VI, and was the most 
famous of the popes of that name. He was a gallant courtier and 
exemplified all the vices and graces of his time. He exhibited 
considerable executive ability. He undertook to curtail the power 
of the Italian princes and to increase the papal revenues. It was 
in his pontificate that the French invasion of 1494 occurred, and 
that Savonarola suffered martyrdom. "Alexander violated every 
rule of domestic morality." 



624 HISTORICAL FICTION 

This is a story of the Borgia family. Caesar Borgia was the 
son of Rodrigo Borgia. He was made a cardinal and was made a 
duke by the French king at the time of his father's reconciliation 
with France. He was a man of ability, shrewd, cunning and cruel. 
He was his father's instrument in his attempt to create a Pontif- 
ical State and to bring the papal vassals to obedience to his plan. 
Caesar was well adapted to the task of getting rid of fractious 
vassals, and could outdo them in any policy they adopted. By 
treachery he gained control of the cities of Romagna, and at- 
tempted to form an independent power in Italy. Macchiavelli 
regarded him the type of a model ruler. He was killed while 
with the king of Navarre in his conflict with Castile. 

Lucrezia Borgia was Caesar's sister, a woman celebrated for 
her beauty and intelligence, but has been associated with the great- 
est crimes. Investigation, however, has cleared her character of 
some of the worst charges. 

In this story Caesar and Lucrezia Borgia are active agents 
in a deep plot. Their names have always been associated with 
plots, intrigues and crimes. When cardinals died mysteriously, 
and the husband of Lucrezia was murdered, the people at once 
attributed to Caesar Borgia these happenings. 

Leonora D'Orco. 1857. George -P. R. James 

Lodovico Sforza seized the government of Milan. He was 
an intellectual man but devoid of moral sense. Between Milan 
and Naples was a hostile feeling, and Sforza conceived the idea of 
crushing the latter by inviting Charles VIII of France to take 
possession of it. In this he was supported by other politicians. 
— TTEarles accepted the invitation, and at the head of a splendid 
army crossed the Alps in 1494 and passed through Italy. Florence 
made a treaty with him, and he passed on to Naples. But the 
powers of Europe formed a league with Venice and the Pope 
in which the treacherous Sforza joined. Charles, realizing his 
danger, escaped from Milan and fled over the Alps. 

In this story the invasion of Italy by Charles is fully given. It 
also deals with the marriage of Charles with Anne of Brittany, 
which event is taken up in connection with that period in French 
history in that section of this work. Caesar Borgia is introduced, 



THE MODERN ERA 625 

and, as stated above, he was made a duke by the French king 
and gave up the service of the Church. 

The Court of Lucifer. 1901. Nathan Gallizier 

The leading interest of this story is the marriage of Alfonso, 
son of Duke Ercole of Ferrara, with Lucrezia Borgia with all of 
its attending difficulties. The lover learns the reputation Lu- 
crezia has of being a female monster guilty of all sorts of crimes, 
and he starts out to investigate the grounds for these rumors. He 
escapes the traps laid by her brother, and becomes satisfied that 
Lucrezia is no such a person as rumor has painted her, is satisfied 
that she is innocent of these charges, marries her and takes her 
to Ferrara. He had been restrained by his father, the Duke of 
Ercole, a patron of art, who expressed his artistic interest in the 
manner in which he adorned his palaces. The love story of Caesar 
Borgia has also a place in this story. His father, Alexander VI, 
and his mistresses are introduced, together with various leading 
personages. 

Ettore Fieramosca. 1833. Massimo Taparelli 
D'Azeglio 

This Italian statesman, author and artist (1 798-1866), was a 
descendant of a noble Piedmontese family. In Rome he devoted 
himself to art and established a reputation in historical painting. 
He married a daughter of Manzoni in Milan. The publication 
of this patriotic novel brought him still greater prominence. Some 
of the reforms with which Pius IX began his government are 
to be ascribed, to some extent at least, to the influence of this 
novelist. He was severely wounded in the battle of Vicenza in the 
campaign against Austria. His political standing is indicated by 
the fact that Victor Emmanuel II laid upon him the responsibility 
of forming a ministry. He labored earnestly in the interests of 
Italian liberty, which he believed must be secured by orderly and 
progressive steps. 

Gonsalvo de Cordova (1453-1515), called the Great Captain, 
was born near Cordova, Spain. His efficient services against 
Boabdil, king of the Moors, brought him distinction, and he was 
sent to aid Ferdinand II of Naples. He conquered the greater 



626 HISTORICAL FICTION 

part of the kingdom and drove the French from Italy. He was 
again sent to Italy, where he took some cities from the Turks, 
and in 1503, when Spain and France agreed upon the capture of 
Naples, he was sent to accomplish that task. He was successful 
in this but the two countries quarreled over the spoils. A war 
broke out and Gonsalvo completely defeated the French. He 
was made viceroy of Naples. 

In this story this invasion of Italy by French and Spaniards 
is detailed and the war that arose between the two countries. 
Gonsalvo enters the town of Barletta, situated on the west shore 
of the Adriatic and celebrated for the great victory of Hannibal 
in the Punic War, and is shut up in the city by the French general, 
duke of Nemours. He gets out of the city and in April, 1503, 
defeats the French in the battle of Cerignola, and in December 
again defeats them at Garigliano. It leaves the Spaniards masters 
of Naples. Many leading personages are introduced — Caesar 
Borgia, the Pope, Bayard and others. 

The Gorgeous Borgia. 1908. Justin H. McCarthy 

In whatever degree investigation of the character of Lucrezia 
Borgia has cleared her of the charge of being infamous, the same 
can scarcely be said of her brother Caesar. When his brother, 
the Duke of Gandia, was murdered it was generally believed that 
he was the murderer, so as to gain ascendency in the papal gov- 
ernment. There are enough other things he committed to justify 
the unfavorable light in which he has always been regarded. 

This story pictures him as he is generally known. The events 
are carried forward to his death. He married the daughter of 
Jean d'Albret, king of Navarre. By force and treachery he nearly 
succeeded in gaining ascendency throughout the Roman states, 
when the death of his father, the Pope, deprived him of his great 
source of power. In 1504 he was sent as a prisoner to Spain 
by Pope Julius II, but escaped, and was killed in 1507 while 
accompanying the king of Navarre against Castile. 

The Constable de Bourbon. 1866. William H. 
Ainsworth 

In the contest for ownership Milan was tossed about in the 
great struggle between Francis I of France and the Emperor 



THE MODERN ERA 627 

Charles V. In the battle of Marignano in 151 5 the French arms 
were victorious and Milan was taken, but in the battle of Pavia 
(1525) the French were wholly defeated. From time to time, 
however, France would send her troops across the Alps, but the 
grip of Spain was too firm to be loosened. From this time on 
Italian politics were determined by foreign kings. 

The battle which gave Charles V possession of Milan is de- 
scribed in this story. In 1527 the imperial army in Italy, which 
had not received their pay and was composed of Germans, Span- 
iards and Italians, and was under the command of Bourbon, re- 
volted. They were led by their commander to Rome. They 
broke into the city and plundered it. The city was rich with 
tribute money, the gold and silver of its churches and precious 
things of its palaces. Plunder, destruction, murder were carried 
on with a ruthless hand, and at the end of eight days of monstrous 
devilishness 60,000 people were either killed or fled from the city. 
These days of outrage and bloodshed are portrayed by this story. 
The Constable de Bourbon was killed in the assault and Clement 
VII was made a captive. 

Other stories: 

Don Tarquinio (1905), by F. Rolfe. 

The She-Wolf (1913), by Maxime Formont, in which the 
doings of Caesar Borgia are given. 

Love at Arms (1907), by Raphael Sabatini. 

The Plough of Shame (1906), Mary B. Whiting. 

From the Council of Trent to Waterloo 

In 1535 the Sforza dynasty in Milan came to an end, and 
Charles V took possession of the duchy and thus annexed it to 
Spain. In 1530 Florence was definitely regained by the Medici. 
In 1545 the Council of Trent was opened. 

The primary object of this great Council was the reconcilia- 
tion between the Catholic Church and the Protestants. It was 
convened during the pontificate of Paul III, but it did not com- 
plete its labors until 1563. One great result of this Council was 
the Reformation in the Catholic Church, known as the Catholic 
Reaction. Stern measures were adopted against the corrupt prac- 
tices which had justified Luther's position. The dogmas of the 
Church were given definiteness and fixity. This Catholic Revival, 



628 HISTORICAL FICTION 

following the Renaissance, is invested with the greatest signifi- 
cance. 

The Stories 

A Knight of St. John. 1905. Frederick S. Brereton 

The Knights of St. John was a military religious order that 
originated in Jerusalem in 1048. It was afterwards called the 
Knights of Malta. The Island of Malta was taken over by the 
Norman lords of Sicily in 1090, and from that time followed the 
fortunes of that kingdom until 1530, when it was given to the 
Knights of St. John by Charles V, who had inherited it in 15 16. 
The island was attacked by the Turks led by Mustapha Pasha in 
1565, but was successfully defended by the Grand Master of the 
order, Jean La Valette, who founded the capital of Malta, La 
Valetta, in 1566. 

This story is the account of this heroic defence of Malta by 
Jean La Valette during this Turkish siege. The same event is set 
forth in A Captain of the Corsairs, by John Finnemore. 

The Commentaries of Ser Pantaleone. 1856. 
Anne Manning 

This is a story of the poet Torquato Tasso, the last great genius 
of the Italian Renaissance. He possessed a melancholy tempera- 
ment. His talents were displayed at the age of sixteen when he 
produced the Rinaldo in twelve cantos. It induced him to devote 
his attention to literature, and he brought out his great poem, 
Jerusalem Delivered. He received an appointment at the Court 
of Alfonso, Duke of Ferrara. He wandered about as a sick per- 
son and became the victim of morbid notions, imagining that he 
was being misrepresented at court. His mania developed to such 
an extent that his patron, the duke, was compelled to have him 
confined. He escaped from Ferrara, but returned, and so greatly 
was his mind disordered that the duke placed him in a madhouse, 
in which he was confined from 1579 to 1586. He was finally re- 
leased, but was broken in health and retired to Naples. 

The vicissitudes of this poet are set forth in this story and the 
period that he spent in Ferrara. The Duke's sister, Leonora 
d'Este, figures in the story, in her relations with Tasso, whose 



THE MODERN ERA 629 

interest in her is thought to have had something to do with his con- 
finement in the madhouse. When he returned to Ferrara, after 
escaping from his first confinement, his conduct became disrepu- 
table, which fact necessitated treating him as a madman. 

The Golden Book of Venice. 1900. Mrs. Lawrence 

Turnbull 

A papal bull had been issued which asserted papal claims of an 
extreme character. With the exception of Venice the states in 
Italy accepted this proclamation of the Pope's authority. Venice 
was always more opposed to the papal pretensions and refused to 
sustain the bull, and declared the right to tax church property. 
This was contrary to the bull, and in 1606 the Pope declared 
Venice under an interdict. A decree was issued that all monks 
obeying the interdict should be banished. The Protestants of 
Europe backed Venice, while the Catholics supported the Pope. 

In this situation arose the man who has been called the last 
of the great Venetians, Fra Paolo Sarpi (1552-1623). Gifted 
with a remarkable mind, at the age of eighteen he taught Theology, 
and a little later Philosophy and Mathematics. He discovered 
the valves of the veins and the circulation of the blood prior to 
Harvey. Galileo called him "my father and my master." He 
wrote the history of the Council of Trent. At the time of this 
trouble with the Pope he was appointed Theological Counsellor 
to the Republic, and found himself in the midst of this political 
strife. Absolutely patriotic, he supported the Republic. 

This story sets forth the life of this great Venetian, and de- 
scribes this conflict in which he supports the state against the 
papacy. He advocated the cause of Venice before all Europe 
with great success. His last thought was for Venice. The story 
enters into the temper of the time in quite a manifold way. 

The Cardinal's Pawn. 1904. Kathleen and Letitia 
Montgomery 

This story deals with the relations of three persons : Francesco 
de Medici, his brother Cardinal Ferdinand, and Bianca Capello. 
The latter (1548- 1587) was an Italian adventuress, and the mis- 
tress of Francesco. She belonged to a noble Venetian family. 



630 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Her first escapade was to elope with Pietro Bonaventuri to Flor- 
ence. Here she was brought into contact with the duke, Fran- 
cesco, with whom she formed a liaison just after he had married 
the Archduchess of Austria. His great concern was the lack of 
a male heir, and in 1576 he had foisted on him a child by Bianca, 
and not suspecting any deception he named the child Antonio. 
Bianca, realizing that she was in danger of the fraud being de- 
tected, had those who had assisted her in perpetrating it assassi- 
nated. 

In 1578 the Archduchess died and Bianca, who had been pri- 
vately married to the duke immediately after the death of his 
wife, persuaded him to marry her publicly, and was proclaimed 
Grand Duchess of Tuscany. She was anxious to be in good stand- 
ing with the Duke's family, and labored to secure the favor of 
Cardinal Ferdinand, who opposed their marriage. He was next 
heir to Francesco. The three met at Cajano in 1587 and a few 
days later both husband and wife were taken suddenly ill and died. 
Their death has been laid to Ferdinand. Another story is, that 
she prepared a poisoned cake for the cardinal, who induced Fran- 
cesco to eat a part of it first, and that rather than survive her 
husband and stand in the light of a murderess she ate the re- 
mainder. 

These facts constitute the historical background of much of 
this story. 

Beatrice Cenci. 1854. Francesco D. Guerrazzi 

This Italian author (1804- 1873) was born at Leghorn, and was 
educated for the legal profession. He came early under the influ- 
ence of Byron. For his liberal opinions he was sent to Monte- 
pulciano. He helped to establish a liberal organ, which was soon 
suppressed. In 1831 and again in 1834 he was imprisoned. In 
1849 he was induced to accept office in the ministry, and upon the 
flight of the Grand Duke he was made dictator. He was impris- 
oned for three years on the charge of not having used due meas- 
ures of repression when the revolution of 1848 first gathered 
strength, and was finally banished to Corsica. Restored to free- 
dom, he sat in the Parliament of Turin. 

Beatrice Cenci (1 577-1599) was one of a large family whose 



THE MODERN ERA 631 

father, Francesco Cenci, was an infamous Roman nobleman. 
While harsh in all his family dealings he was especially cruel 
in his treatment of Beatrice. When his tyranny became unbear- 
able, Beatrice and her step-mother, Lucrezia, formed a conspiracy 
to put him out of the way. They enlisted the assistance of a 
friend, Monsignor Guerra. He and two brothers of Beatrice, 
Giacomo and Bernardo, hired assassins who put the father to 
death. Giacomo was tortured and then executed, but Bernardo, 
who was but a youth, was imprisoned. Guerra escaped. Bea- 
trice and Lucrezia were beheaded. The former denied having 
anything to do with the plot even after the others had confessed. 
She was subjected to such tortures that she finally admitted her 
part in the conspiracy. 

This romance is founded on these facts, setting forth unnam- 
able crimes of the father, for which there is not sufficient evidence, 
and his tyranny. The conspiracy, assassination, confessions, tor- 
tures and executions are portrayed. 

The poetical tragedy by Shelley, The Cenci, relates to these 
incidents. 

The Betrothed. 1827. Alessandro Manzoni 

This author, poet, dramatist and novelist (1785- 1873) was 
born at Milan. At first he espoused the doctrines of Voltaire, but 
after his marriage he accepted the faith of the Catholic Church. 
He holds in the romantic school in Italy the highest position as 
novelist. His great work, The Betrothed, Scott declared to be 
the first novel ever written, while Goethe declared, "It satisfies 
us like perfectly ripe fruit." 

This story relates to the time of the Spanish control. Milan 
was ruled by Spanish governors, and Naples and Sicily by vice- 
roys. Many new measures increased taxation, which became 
oppressive. Ignorance and poverty increased, "and left as a 
legacy to the present day the conditions from which spring the 
Mafia of Sicily and the Camorra of Naples." A plague and 
famine sweeping over Milan in the early part of the seventeenth 
century are described. Federigo Borromeo, Archbishop of Milan, 
and a man of piety, is well portrayed. The two lovers of the 
story, when about to be wedded are separated by one called "The 



632 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Unnamed," who abducts Lucia. She vows perpetual virginity, 
the renunciation of her betrothed, if the Virgin will but bring 
her safely and unharmed through this ordeal, and declares "that 
I may belong only to thee." The lovers are restored to each other, 
but she remembers her vow. Fra Cristoforo says to her, "My 
daughter, did you recollect, when you made that vow, that you 
were bound by another promise?" He then absolves her from 
the vow, and they are happily married. 

The Company of Death. 1905. Albert L. Cotton 

In 1646 the wife of Masaniello, a fisherman in Naples, was 
insulted. Her husband became the leader of an insurrection 
which lasted for ten days. He overpowered the viceroy, and 
during this period ruled despotically over Naples. This outburst 
came near costing Spain the loss of her Neapolitan possessions. 

This story gives a good description of this rebellion against the 
Spanish and the operations of Masaniello. 

Lally of the Brigade. 1899. Miss L. McManus 

As the reign of Charles II drew to a close, having no children 
the question of his successor became a vital one. The inheritance 
included Spain, the larger part of Italy, the Spanish Netherlands, 
the Philippines and the great American possessions. It presented 
a most attractive prize, and at the same time a problem of the 
greatest significance, involving the balance of power. Louis XIV 
of France claimed this inheritance for the Dauphin, the son of 
Louis and of Charles' eldest sister. Joseph of Bavaria might be 
a claimant on the ground of being the grandson of the younger 
sister of Charles. Emperor Leopold of Austria would rest his 
claim upon the fact of his being the son of a younger sister of 
Philip IV. Three weeks before his death Charles was induced to 
make a will leaving the entire inheritance to Philip, the Dauphin's 
second son, who was proclaimed at Madrid. 

Louis XIV declared that the election of Philip would not 
prevent his succession to the throne of France, thus giving to that 
throne the balance of power. This was contested by England, 
Holland and Austria and war resulted. It was waged in Italy, 
Germany, Spain and the Netherlands. When peace was con- 



THE MODERN ERA 633 

eluded in 1714 Philip was recognized as king of Spain and the 
Indies, but it was stated that the crown of Spain and that of 
France should never be united. 

This is a story of this war, dealing with the conflict of the 
Austrians and French for the Italian possessions, the attacking of 
Cremona being of central interest. Villeroi took up winter quar- 
ters at this city, while the Count de Tesse defended Mantua. 
Awakened by sudden firing when he considered himself secure, 
Villeroi rushed from his lodging and found himself surrounded 
by an Austrian squadron. It was Eugene, Prince of Austria, who 
was making a sudden attack on Cremona. In this he would have 
succeeded but for the fact that a regiment had been assembled by 
the colonel for review at four o'clock in the morning. The enemy 
reached the center of the town only to be driven back through 
the gates ; but they had captured the marshal. 

This surprise of the French garrison in 1702 by the Imperial- 
ists under Eugene was a celebrated incident in this war. After 
a sharp engagement the Imperialists were driven from Cremona 
and the city was saved, but they had captured Marshal Villeroi, 
the French commander. 



CHAPTER II 

ITALY SINCE THE FALL OF NAPOLEON 

I. To the Revolution of 1848 

Indifference and decay settled down upon Italy after Austria 
came into possession of Milan and Naples. This condition con- 
tinued to the time of the French Revolution. When she tried 
to join the coalition against France during the Reign of Terror 
she was reduced to a dependency. The Treaty of Campo-Formio 
gave Venice to Austria, while the rest of the country was broken 
up into republics. To furnish his brother Joseph with a crown, 
Napoleon, in 1806, constituted Naples a kingdom. Within two 
years this state passed into the hands of Murat. Napoleon's rule 
in Italy from 1806 to 1814 was undisturbed. 

Italy's hopes of unity and independence were banished, when, 
in the reconstruction, the Congress of Vienna left her under the 
control of Austria and the papacy. Secret societies were at once 
formed, and conspiracies organized against the ruling powers. 
Charles Albert, who began his rule in 1831, paved the way for 
the unity of Italy under his house by the generous measures he 
employed. 

The Stories 

The Gadfly. 1898. Mrs. Ethel L. Voynich 

This English novelist (1864-) for several years lived on the 
Continent. Her husband was a native of Lithuania. By his 
participation in the Polish national movement he was forced to 
escape to England. She began her literary career by translating 
tales and plays from the Russian. She achieved immediate suc- 
cess by her first novel, The Gadfly, which was followed by others. 

This story is designed to set forth the temper of the Italians 
under the rule of Austria, and the extremities to which they were 
sometimes driven while under these oppressions and realizing their 
absolute right to independence. 

634 



THE MODERN ERA 635 

Shortly after Charles Albert (Carlo Alberto) had succeeded to 
the kingdom of Sardinia he received an anonymous letter, the 
contents of which were circulated over Italy. It laid before him 
two courses and called upon him to choose between them. It is 
representative of the time. The letter proceeds : "Bend your back 
under the Austrian whip and be a tyrant — but, if as you read these 
words your mind runs back to that time when you dared look 
higher than the lordship of a German fief, and if you hear within 
a voice that cries, 'You were born for something great,' obey that 
voice ; it is the voice of genius, of opportunity, that offers you its 
hand to mount from century to century as far as immortality ; 
it is the voice of all Italy, who awaits but one word, one single 
word, to make herself all your own. Give her that word. Put 
yourself at the head of the nation, and on your banner write, 
Union, Freedom, Independence. Sire, according to your answer, 
be sure that posterity will pronounce you either the first of Italian 
men, or the last of Italian tyrants. Choose." 

This letter was written by a young man twenty-six years of 
age, Giuseppe Mazzini, put in prison under suspicion of being 
a Carbonaro. He was finally banished and it was then he wrote 
the letter. During his exile he devoted his energies to inciting 
the Italian people to insurrectionary measures and uprisings 
against their masters. 

This story sets forth the effect of oppression, tyranny and 
wrong in creating an atheistic attitude, and a bitterness towards 
religion and its institutions. 

Vittoria. 1866. George Meredith 

As just noted, the revolutionary movement was revived by 
Mazzini. He organized the revolutionary society called "Young 
Italy." For fifteen years books were written and circulated for 
the purpose of intensifying the national feeling toward inde- 
pendence. Italy was therefore in a prepared state when the up- 
heaval of Europe occurred in 1848, which has already been set 
forth under a former section of this work. Milan, Venice and 
other parts of Italy rose in revolt. Charles Albert, influenced by 
Cavour, declared war against Austria. Jealousies and disagree- 
ments arose, and Naples and the papal power withdrew from the 
coalition. The Italians were defeated at Custozza, July, 1848, 



636 HISTORICAL FICTION 

and again at Novara in the following year. Charles Albert abdi- 
cated, and his son, Victor Emmanuel, secured peace. At every 
point the revolution in Italy was a failure. 

This story deals in a vivid manner with the events relating to 
this revolution. It is a very full reconstruction of the time, the 
existing conditions, the plots and intrigues, introducing the leading 
individuals, and setting forth the outcome of the revolution. 

Mademoiselle Mori. 1860. Mary Roberts 

In 1849 the revolutionary power declared the Pope deprived of 
all temporal power, and Mazzini set up a Roman Republic and 
was at the head of the government. Napoleon, President of the 
new French Republic, wishing the support of the clerical party, 
interfered at this point and his troops advanced to Rome. For 
three weeks the Italians defended themselves, but the soldiers 
were untrained and had little chance against regular troops. Rome 
could not hold out against this force. By means of an English 
passport Mazzini escaped. The French marched into the city, 
and the temporal power of the Pope was re-established. 

The conditions in Rome during this period of the Revolution 
are described in this story in which the siege of Rome by the 
French and its successful culmination are presented. 

Adria. 1902. Alexander N. Hood 

The revolt spread throughout Lombardy. Venice joined the 
insurrectionary movement, forced the Austrian government to 
yield, and set up the Republic of Venice. Daniele Manin was 
elected president. Milan had won a victory over the Austrian 
general, Joseph Radetzky, and excitement ran high. But the 
Austrian was reinforced. Manin resisted heroically for four 
months, but surrendered to Radetzky in August. 

These scenes in Venice, together with an excellent delineation 
of Venetian life and spirit are given in this story. The insurrec- 
tion of Manin, and the attack and final vctory of the Austrians 
are well portrayed. 

II. The Unity of Italy 

For eight years, following the Revolution of 1848, the old 



THE MODERN ERA 637 

tyranny was resumed and exercised. The Italians were not a 
unit as to the kind of a government they wanted, and disorder 
and a wretched state of things prevailed. In Piedmont alone con- 
ditions were more favorable. Camillo Cavour, an able statesman, 
organized the finances and developed the resources. His oppor- 
tunity came with the Crimean War, in which he offered his sup- 
port to the allies, which was accepted. Such good use did he make 
of his participation in the war that in the Congress of Paris 
(1856), supported by England and France in his representation 
of the conditions in Italy and the misgovernment of the two 
Sicilies, his claims were well received. 

Austria finally demanded that Piedmont disarm. This Victor 
Emmanuel refused to do, and declared war. The French crossed 
the Alps and with the Sardinians defeated the Austrians at Ma- 
genta and Solferino (1859). In the spring of the following year 
the Romagna, Parma, Tuscany, Modena united with the kingdom 
of Sardinia under the name of the Kingdom of Italy. 

The Stories 
One Crowded Hour. 1912. S. C. Grier 

At this point a new force enters into the affairs of Italy and 
the Two Sicilies in the person of Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-1882), 
a central figure in the story of Italian independence. Francis II, 
son of Ferdinand II, king of the Two Sicilies, came to that throne. 
He refused to join Victor Emmanuel in his struggle against Aus- 
tria. In i860 a revolt in Palermo spread. Garibaldi was induced 
to take the leadership of the revolution. He landed with his force 
of One Thousand at Massala. "This band, known as i mille, is 
nearly as famous and as legendary as King Arthur and his Round 
Table." 

A provisional government was formed and Garibaldi was 
made dictator. He and his Red Shirts, as his men were called, 
freed Naples and the Sicilies from the Bourbons and passed them 
over to Victor Emmanuel. 

This story has its setting in these exploits of Garibaldi and his 
One Thousand in Sicily. The state of the Sicilian life at this 
time is well described. 



638 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Out with Garibaldi. 1900. George A. Henty 

In the historical range of this story it traces the events in 
Italy from the time of the Revolution in 1848- 1849. The leading 
historical interest of the story is the description of Garibaldi's 
achievements in the Two Sicilies. Insurgent Sicilians joined his 
forces. He took Palermo, won the battle at Milazzo, a town in 
the northeast corner of Sicily, and won a great victory at the 
Volturno River. These actions are well portrayed by the author. 

One of the Red Shirts. 1901. Herbert Hay ens 

Garibaldi's war-cry was "Italy and Victor Emmanuel." After 
his Sicilian conquests he crossed the straits, marched across the 
Neapolitan boundary, scattered the papal army and met the Bour- 
bon army. At the zenith of his success Victor Emmanuel came 
upon the field. Garibaldi hailed him as King of Italy, and re- 
fusing all rewards consigned to the- king the fruits of his labors, 
disbanded his army, and went to the little island of Caprera. The 
Two Sicilies, and those parts of the Papal States that were now 
free, united with the Kingdom of Italy. The first Italian Parlia- 
ment convened early in 1861, and the title King of Italy was con- 
ferred upon Victor Emmanuel. All that now remained to make 
Italy free and independent was the casting off of foreign domina- 
tion in Rome and Venice. The latter was the first to yield, and 
then the pope was defeated and Rome fell in 1870, and in 1871 be- 
came again, after fifteen hundred years, the capital of Italy. 

This story follows the successes of Garibaldi and the "Red 
Shirts" in Sicily and Italy to the point where Victor Emmanuel 
appears and is hailed by the conqueror as King of Italy. Gari- 
baldi holds the center of the stage throughout. 

The Sword of Wealth. 1906. H. E. Thomas 

Humbert I (1878-1900) was the son of Victor Emmanuel II. 
He distinguished himself in the war of 1866 between Prussia and 
Austria. He made himself most popular with his subjects by the 
manner in which he exposed himself to cholera during the scourge 
in Naples, in relieving the sick and dying. The excessive taxation 
he was compelled to lay upon the country resulted in a loss of 
prestige. In 1900 he was assassinated by an anarchist, and Victor 
Emmanuel III came to the throne. 



THE MODERN ERA 639 

This story deals with the events of this time. The bread riots 
that broke out in Milan are described and the tragic death of the 
king at the opening of the twentieth century. 

Arden Massiter. 1900. William Barry 

This story deals particularly with the organization called the 
Camorra. It is a secret society that at one time existed in all parts 
of the kingdom of Naples. It is a "legacy from Bourbon times, 
a society of criminals or ruffians on the edge of crime, organized 
for the purpose of levying tribute by blackmail." They hired 
themselves out for any criminal service "from the passing of con- 
traband goods to assassination." Under the Bourbons their opera- 
tions could be carried on in the open, but under the present order 
of things in Italy the society is under the necessity of carrying 
out its plots and schemes secretly. But the Mafia and the 
Camorra have greatly hindered social progress in Italy. 

The experiences of a socialist in his dealings with this organi- 
zation, the oppression under which a large portion of the people 
live, and the plottings and political abuses in Italy of this time 
make up a strong picture as painted in this story. 

Thus we have seen by these stories what has been the move- 
ment in Italy during the Modern Era, and the state out of which 
she has struggled to her present position. "If we look back and 
contemplate the vicissitudes of Italy, such as no other nation ever 
experienced, twice on the throne of Europe, three times crowned 
with its crown — Imperial, Ecclesiastical, Intellectual — and resur- 
vey the three centuries during which foreign tyrant and native 
priest joined hand to smother and quench the Italian fire, and then 
read in detail the heroic acts of the men who sacrificed themselves 
for Italian freedom, we shall feel sure that the dull colors of the 
present generation are but signs of a time of rest, and that the 
genius of Italy lives within and will again enrich the world with 
deeds of men sprung from the 'gentle Latin blood.' " 



SPAIN 

CHAPTER I 

FROM THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA TO 
ISABELLA II 

In the fifteenth century the things that contributed to Spain's 
rapid rise and distinction were the union of Castile and Aragon 
by the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella, the conquest of the 
Moorish kingdom of Granada, the footing it gained in southern 
Italy and its discoveries in the New World. The gradual amal- 
gamation of the petty kingdoms of the northern, southern and 
central portions of the peninsula into one comprehensive nation- 
ality enabled Spain to exercise the mighty influence which raised 
her to such a commanding place in Europe under Charles V and 
Philip II. 

This eminence, however, was not to be maintained. During 
the hundred years from the middle of the sixteenth century to the 
middle of the seventeenth many important changes occurred in 
Europe. Among these Spain fell from the first place and France, 
under the ruling influence of Richelieu, rose to that plane. The 
War of the Spanish Succession contributed greatly to her declen- 
sion by the loss of her colonial possessions, and when the attempt 
was made to restore her former ascendency and glory it was im- 
possible to do so on account of an alliance formed by the great 
European powers. 

I. To the Reign of Philip III 

This period carries us through the first half of the second 
House of Spain from the time of the union of Castile and Aragon. 
House of Aragon, 1478-1516. 
Ferdinand V and Isabella. 
Expulsion of the Jews. 
Conquest of Granada. 
Discovery of the New World. 
640 



THE MODERN ERA 641 

House of Hapsburg. 

Charles I, 15 16-1556. 
Holy Roman Emperor. 
Defeat of Francis I. 
The capture of Rome. 
Philip II, 1556-1598. 

Revolt and loss of the Netherlands. 
Subjugation of Portugal. 
Destruction of the Armada. 

The Stories 
The Vale of Cedars. 1850. Grace Aguilar 

Because of his zeal for Christianity, Ferdinand was surnamed 
the Catholic. Torquemada was appointed Inquisitor. He de- 
clared that the only way of extirpating certain Jewish practices 
was by expelling the Jews from the country. To conciliate the 
sovereign some leading Jews madf an offer of 30,000 ducats. Go- 
ing to the palace Torquemada drew forth a crucifix, exclaiming 
"Judas Iscariot sold his Master for thirty pieces of silver. Your 
Highness would sell him again for thirty thousand; here he is, 
take him and barter him away." The result was that 160,000 were 
driven from the land, which action meant the loss of the most 
skilful and ingenious part of the population. This loss was to 
have far-reaching consequences, and was not an insignificant 
factor in the subsequent decline of Spain. The Jews were driven 
out in a wholly helpless state, not being allowed to take their gold 
and silver. 

This author (1816-1847), an English writer of Jewish parents, 
was born at Hackney. Her first works, The Spirit of Judaism 
and The Jewish Faith, brought her recognition. In these works 
she attacked the formalism of Judaism, and set forth its moral and 
spiritual elements. Her fiction, of which she wrote considerable, 
has a religious tendency. 

The persecutions to which the Jews were subjected in Spain 
are described by this story. It deals with the various measures of 
the grand inquisitor. The edict for the expulsion of the Jews was 
signed March 30, 1492, the year when through the assistance of 
Isabella was discovered the land that has furnished a blessed 



642 HISTORICAL FICTION 

refuge and escape from tyranny and intolerance of tens of thou- 
sands of the Old World. 

In Fair Granada. 1901. Evelyn Everett-Green 

This is a story of the Morisco rebellion and the Spanish atro- 
cities of that time, especially those of Don Juan. The Moors, 
who refused to accept Christianity, were driven from Spain. In 
the Barbary States they pursued their piratical enterprises. Those 
who accepted Christianity came to be distinguished by the name 
"Moriscos." They were closely watched and any defection in 
the way of lapsing from the religion they had adopted was sub- 
jected to barbarous cruelties by the Inquisition. For nearly a 
hundred years they constituted the most intelligent and indus- 
trious portion of the population of Spain, and lived in a state of 
peaceful and obedient subjection to their masters. But this did 
not secure them against the hideous and unjust persecutions of 
Philip II. These became intolerable and in 1 568-1 570 the Moris- 
cos revolted. The suppression of the insurrection was committed 
to Don Juan (or John) of Austria, who adopted the most atro- 
cious measures in slaughtering garrisons and prisoners. A large 
number of Moriscos were driven from the country. 

A Knight of Spain. 1913. Marjorie Bowen 

Don John of Austria (1 546-1 578) was the illegitimate son of 
Charles V. After the death of the latter he was placed under the 
charge of his half-brother, Philip II. In 1570, when the Moors 
rose in rebellion in Granada, he was in charge of the campaign to 
put down the revolt. In the following year he gained a brilliant 
victory over the Turks in the battle of Lepanto. This is a seaport 
town of Greece, and here was fought within the Gulf this naval 
battle between the Ottoman fleet and the fleets of the Christian 
states of the Mediterranean, under Don John. The Turkish fleet 
was destroyed and from this time dated the decline of the Turkish 
power in Europe. 

In 1576 Don John was appointed viceroy of the Netherlands 
by Philip. Alva had preceded him there by an administration of 
six years. In 1577 he defeated William the Silent in the battle of 
Gembloux. This brought him great distinction, and his growing 
fame caused Philip anxiety that his half-brother might aspire to 



THE MODERN ERA 643 

the throne. Shortly after this Don John was found dead in camp, 
the cause of his death probably being poison. 

This is a story of Don John, describing his victory over the 
Turks at Lepanto, and his successful administration in the Nether- 
lands. Philip figures in the story both in his relation and attitude 
to Don John. 

In the Palace of the King. 1900. Francis M. Crawford 

This American novelist (1854- 1909) received his education in 
this country, England and Germany. He went to Rome, where 
he gave special attention to Sanskrit. The committee of the 
American government selected him to write the national ode at 
the centennial of the American Constitution, September 17, 1887. 
He became popular as a novelist by the publication of his first 
novel, Mr. Isaacs, a work of decided merit. He possessed the 
qualities essential to a good writer of fiction. 

The scene is laid in the Court of Philip II. He is contrasted 
with his half-brother, a man of finer parts. He was of a jealous 
and tyrannical disposition, having the instincts of the murderer. 
He tried to kill Elizabeth and Henry of Navarre and did succeed 
in assassinating others. "It is difficult to understand how a man 
could be so false, so utterly hypocritical, mendacious and faithless 
as Philip was — serene incarnation of passionless evil as history 
shows him to be. He died a wreck of disappointed and ignoble 
ambition, a striking monument of a life lived almost utterly in 
vain." 

In this story his half-brother, Don John, comes to love a lady 
of the Court. In this he comes into conflict with the utterly un- 
principled Philip, who opposes John's firm purpose to marry the 
lady. 

A Flame of Fire. 1903. Joseph Hocking 

In this story Philip is putting into execution his plans regard- 
ing the great Armada with which to attack England in the reign 
of Elizabeth (1588). This event, and its relations to the execu- 
tion of Mary Queen of Scots, and the full design of Philip in 
attacking England and what happened to his Armada, are all set 
forth in that section of our English Studies. The facts are set 



644 HISTORICAL FICTION 

forth also in this story, together with a picture of the Inquisition 
which, by its system of expulsion, had in 1609 reduced the popula- 
tion of Spain from twenty millions to six millions. 

II. From Philip III to Philip V 
House of Hapsburg 

Philip III, 1598-1621. 

Expulsion of the Moriscos. 

Hostilities with Mantua and Savoy. 
Philip IV, 1621-1665. 

War with the United Provinces. 

Insurrection of Catalonia. 

Portugal casts off the Spanish yoke. 

Peace of Westphalia ; independence of the Netherlands. 
Charles II, 1665-1700. 

A series of failures. Left Spain in a state of exhaustion. 
House of Bourbon 
Philip V, 1 700- 1 746. 

War of the Spanish Succession. 

The treaty of Utrecht. 

The Stories 
John Brown Buccaneer. 1908. George Griffith 

The devastating effect of the Inquisition upon Spain is set 
forth in this story. The pride, intolerance and indolence of the 
Spanish character contributed to the decline of Spain. Following 
the reign of Philip II, the kings lost their power and were mere 
figure-heads. Spain was the greatest state of Europe under 
Charles I ; her might was supreme. Within a hundred years she 
had fallen to a third-rate power. 

The superiority of English seamen and the reverses of the 
Spaniards in conflict with them are portrayed in the story. 

The Last of Her Race. 1908. John E. Bloundelle 

Burton 

When Philip V succeeded to the throne the crown was claimed 
by the Archduke Charles of Austria, which claim was supported 
by the armies of England, Holland and Austria. This War of 



THE MODERN ERA 645 

the Spanish Succession opened in 1702. When Charles II of Spain 
died he had no direct heirs. Philip of Anjou was put forward 
by Louis XIV to represent the French claim, since the latter was 
the son of the elder sister of Philip IV. Leopold of Austria laid 
his claim for his son Charles, declaring that Spain should never 
be incorporated with his dominions. By the treaty of Utrecht, 
however, Philip was acknowledged as king of Spain. 

This story is grounded in these affairs, and deals with the 
various nations in this contest for the Spanish throne — Austria, 
France, England. The plot of the story has to do with the appre- 
hensions of a woman who believes that the man she loves has 
played into the hands of the French against Austria and Spain. 

Thrice Captive. 1908. Major A. Griffiths 

The arrogance of Louis XIV in recognizing the claim of the 
son of James II as king of England led England to take up arms 
against him and Philip in support of the claims of Austria. The 
English forces in Spain were placed under the command of the 
Earl of Peterborough, of whom Macaulay says, "This man was, 
if not the greatest, yet assuredly the most extraordinary charac- 
ter of that age. But his splendid talents and virtues were ren- 
dered almost useless to his country by his restlessness and irrita- 
bility, his morbid craving for novelty and excitement." 

Peterborough captured the fortress of Montjuich and with 
a handful of men pushed on to relieve San Mattheo, which pur- 
pose he accomplished, and with 1,200 men drove the Spanish 
army of 7,000 men into Valencia. From this point, in the night, 
he defeated a force of 4,000. A French army and fleet were sent 
to blockade Barcelona. Peterborough failed to engage the 
French fleet in a battle with the English ships, but he relieved 
Barcelona and took that fortress. 

In this story these achievements of this intrepid leader are 
detailed. He figures largely in these engagements in which an 
Englishman has some unusual experiences. 

The Bravest of the Brave. 1886. George A. Henty 

This story describes Peterborough's command in Spain, the 
activities at Valencia and Barcelona. A quarrel arose between 



646 HISTORICAL FICTION 

him and the Archduke Charles because the former planned to 
march on Madrid. He was indignant when the command was 
divided between him and Galway and he left the army for Genoa. 
In 1707 he returned as a volunteer. In no very gentle terms, 
Sunderland, who supported Galway, recalled him. These dif- 
ferences and the manner in which they affected Peterborough's 
relation to the war are clearly set forth in this story. In 171 3 he 
was made Governor of Minorca, which, with Gibraltar, was 
gained by England in this war. 



CHAPTER II 

REIGN OF ISABELLA II 

For the history and stories bearing on the relation of Spain 
to the Napoleonic Era, from 1800 to 181 5, the Peninsular War, 
etc., the reader is referred to that section of our studies in France 
where the movements of that time are fully given. 

House of Bourbon 

Philip V, 1 700- 1 746. 
Ferdinand VI, 1746-1759. 
Charles III, 1759- 1788. 
Charles IV, 1788- 1808. 
Ferdinand VII, 1808. 
House of Bonaparte 

Joseph Bonaparte, 1808- 181 4. 

Placed on the throne by his brother, Napoleon I. 
House of Bourbon Restored 
Ferdinand VII, 1814-1833. 
Isabella II, 1833-1870. 

Christina, Queen Regent, 1833-1843. 

War with Morocco. 

Driven from Spain. Abdication. 

The Stories 

With the British Legion. 1903. George A. Henty 

Before the birth of Isabella, the daughter of Ferdinand VII, 
the second son of Charles IV and brother of Ferdinand VII was 
regarded as the heir of the latter. After the death of Ferdinand, 
Isabella, who was then three years of age, was declared queen. 
Don Carlos did not propose to relinquish his claim, which he 
based upon the Salic Law excluding women from the throne. He 
maintained the contest until 1839, when he was compelled to leave 
the country. These rights he transferred to his sons in 1845 

647 



648 HISTORICAL FICTION 

which act brought about another insurrection in i860. These 
conflicts are known as the Carlist Wars. 

Until Isabella was old enough to rule in her own right, her 
mother, Christina, acted as Queen Regent. When war broke 
out in 1835 between the crown and Don Carlos, England sup- 
ported Christina. An order was issued authorizing "any person 
to engage during the next two years in the military and naval 
service of her Majesty Isabella II." 

This story sets forth the work of the British Legion in Spain 
at this time in the service of Queen Christina. Colonel De Lacy 
Evans was given the command of these troops. A body of 10,000 
men enlisted and were sent to Spain. In 1837 Evans returned to 
England, and in 1838 the order was withdrawn and the corps 
was dissolved. 

The British Legion. 1908. Herbert Hayens 

When Don Carlos asserted his claims to the throne, the insur- 
rection became quite general. The Carlists were led by Don 
Geronimo Merino. They were defeated and driven over the 
border. One of the greatest personalities of Spain, Thomas 
Zumalacarregui, supported the Carlists. He was successful in a 
number of conflicts and developed an unusual guerrilla warfare. 
The government had 119,000 soldiers but was unable to grapple 
with the rebellion, and another force of 100,000 was called out. 
In 1836 Espartero won a victory for the Queen at Luchana, and 
aided by a British fleet forced the Carlists to raise the siege of 
Bilbao. At Madrid this same commander compelled them to 
retreat, and in 1838 he conducted a successful campaign. 

This conflict, with the Queen supported by the British Legion 
under Evans, is well described by this story. The same events 
with the part played by a Scotchman, are given in Edith E. Cow- 
per's story, Viva Christina. 

In Kedar's Tents. 1897. Henry S. Merriman 

This English author, whose true name was Hugh S. Scott 
(1862-1903), but is best known by the pseudonym, was born at 
Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The Last Hope, The Vultures and other 
novels have made him familiar to the reading public. 



THE MODERN ERA 649 

Spain had reached a state of extreme oppression and misery 
which culminated in the proclamation of the constitution of 181 2, 
the announcement of the "right of revolution," and the outbreak 
in the summer residence of the queen. At midnight an infuriated 
mob broke into the palace and compelled Christina to sign a de- 
cree acknowledging the constitution of 181 2. The situation 
became so intolerable that she consulted with her brother, Ferdi- 
nand II of Naples, relative to leaving the country with her chil- 
dren as a measure of safety. "Carlist bands traversed Spain in 
all directions, and appeared before the gates of Madrid; and if 
they had had any supreme commanding spirit instead of number- 
less guerrilla leaders acting independently at discord and dagger's 
point with each other, with the Virgin Mary as generalissima ( !) 
and the pumpkin-headed 'Charles V telling his eternal beads, 
it is beyond a doubt that they would have succeeded." 

This story is a picture of these times, this active insurrection 
sweeping over the country, and the situation of the queen. An 
Irishman has exciting experiences fighting in behalf of the queen. 
The story relates to the conspiracy to assassinate Christina. In 
1840 a crisis arose when the Regent refused to sanction the law 
relative to the comunidades, which law Espartero supported. At 
this point she surrendered the regency, left her children in Spain 
and departed the country. This placed Espartero at the head 
of the government as Regent. 

The Velvet Glove. 1901. Henry S. Merriman 

In 1843 Isabella was declared of age and became queen in her 
own right. At the beginning her rule was popular. But she 
became so despotic that various risings occurred, and in 1868 a 
revolution broke out which drove her from the country, and a 
republican form of government was formed. It was the Pro- 
nunciamento of Cadiz of this year that exposed and emphasized 
the disreputable existing conditions that brought about the exile 
of Isabella. The universal corruption throughout the adminis- 
tration was brought to light. "It was a cry which rang from one 
end of Europe to the other, a frightful awakening to Isabella." 
Serrano became the president of the ministry of the provisional 
government, and Prim the war minister. 

The revolution headed by Prim and Serrano, and the outcome 



650 HISTORICAL FICTION 

of it, are set forth in this story. At Alcolea, Serrano defeated 
the forces of Isabella, she left Spain, and Serrano entered Mad- 
rid. In 1869 the Constituent Cortes decided in favor of a mon- 
archical government. When the Cortes was opened, the cries 
were intermingled: "Constitutional Monarchy!" "Democratic 
Monarchy!" "The Republic!" "The Federal Republic!" Serrano 
was appointed regent of the kingdom. Amadeus, Duke of Aosta, 
son of Victor Emmanuel, was elected king in 1870. In December, 
Marshal Prim was assassinated, casting a gloom over the country. 
His last words were "I am dying, but the king is coming. Long 
live the king!" Within two days Amadeus landed in Spain. 

The Carlist disturbances which broke out in 1835 continued 
from time to time up to and beyond the formation of the new 
government. It is with this period, with Prim the Marshal of 
Spain, that this story deals, and the plottings in connection with 
the Carlist disorders. 

The reader will recollect, in connection with our study of the 
circumstances leading to the Franco-German War, in what meas- 
ure Spain, at this time being without a sovereign, was responsible 
for the precipitation of that conflict, or the sense in which it was 
the immediate occasion of it. Prussia sought to place Prince 
Leopold of Hohenzollern on the Spanish throne, who also was 
Prim's candidate. 

In 1873 a republic was organized which became unpopular, 
and in 1875 the monarchy was reestablished with Alfonso XII, 
son of Isabella II, as king. The conditions and circumstances 
leading to the Spanish-American War have already been set forth 
in connection with our American Studies. 



HOLLAND— BELGIUM 

At the opening of the Modern Era, Holland was under the 
control of Austria. Philip, the son of Maximilian, was made 
Count of Holland, and at the age of seventeen assumed the gov- 
ernment of the Netherlands. He married the daughter of Ferdi- 
nand and Isabella of Spain, and their son Charles, who became 
Charles V of Germany and king of Spain, was born in Ghent. 
Thus it was through Philip that the houses of Austria and Spain 
were united, and that the Netherlands came under the dominion 
of the latter. 

Charles became king of Spain in 1516 and three years later 
was elected emperor of Germany. From the world of the Middle 
Ages under Austria, Holland entered the new era, the Modern 
Age. With the rest of Europe she was entering a new world 
of ideas pertaining to politics and religion, ideas of individual 
rights and freedom, ideas giving birth to a wholly new religious 
world. It is the period of which we have before spoken of the 
emancipation of the mind and the breaking up of the old orders. 

Before this little state of earnest, hardy and industrious peo- 
ple stretched a period of oppression, suffering and bloodshed 
through which they must pass in order to enjoy the sweets of 
liberty, and under conditions of independence accomplish their 
mission in the world. For this no state had to struggle more bit- 
terly. But the world had changed. New conceptions were lodged 
firmly in the mind and it was impossible to go back to the Middle 
Ages. Holland caught the new spirit and the new spirit of the 
time caught up Holland, and compelled her to persevere in the 
struggle against medieval ideas until she could stand forth in the 
strength and glory of her emancipation, 



651 



CHAPTER I 

FROM THE REFORMATION TO THE REVOLT 
OF THE NETHERLANDS 

When Martin Luther nailed the theses to the church door, 
the Reformation was on. It spread rapidly and was beginning 
to make a new Europe. The Bible translated into the language 
of the common people was the terror of the Pope and also the 
emperor. That Book did not represent kings in any such a fash- 
ion as they had been represented to the people. In the Bible 
could be found no human beings who were infallible, but quite 
the contrary. Its greatest saints were guilty of errors common 
to humanity. And now the Bible was being placed in the hands 
of the people, its message no longer a sealed or mysterious mes- 
sage. 

When the people came to realize that the first Christian 
Churches were democratic in form, the discovery did not help 
the tyrannical order under which they were held by Church and 
State. The contrast between plain Biblical teaching and existing 
conditions was altogether too palpable for them to go back to the 
latter under this new enlightenment. While Germany became 
Lutheran, the Netherlands, in the main, were of the Calvinistic 
form of faith ; but the fundamental results were the same. 

The Stories 
Cloister to Court. 1909. Frances M. Cotton- Walker 

William of Orange, known as William the Silent, was married 
four times. His first wife was Anne of Egmont; the second, 
Anne of Saxony; the third, Charlotte de Bourbon; the fourth. 
Louise de Coligny. 

This story deals with the period of his third wife, giving 
something of a history of her career. During some of his visits 
William had seen at Heidelberg the Princess Charlotte of Bour- 
bon, daughter of the Duke of Montpensier, the most ardent of 

652 



THE MODERN ERA 653 

the Catholic princes of France. She was a beautiful woman, a 
woman of fine intelligence and of virtuous character, and had 
been forced, before the canonical age, to take the religious vows. 
She was placed in the convent of Jouarre of which she became 
abbess. 

Secretly inclined to the Reformed religion, in 1572, the year 
of horrors, she stole away from her cloister and fled for refuge 
to the Court of the Elector Palatine. This act so incensed her 
father that he refused to receive from her any letters, to contrib- 
ute anything to her support, or to regard her with any expression 
of parental affection. Having reached years of maturity, the 
princess, thus cut off, considered that she was under no moral 
or legal obligations to ask the consent of her father, who had 
denied her existence and despised her religion, when her hand 
was sought in marriage by William of Orange. She was free to 
accept the great champion of the Reformation. They were mar- 
ried at Dort. 

In 1582 while the Prince of Orange was present at a birthday 
festival of the Duke of Anjou, as he rose from the table a peti- 
tion was handed to him by a young man. As he took the paper 
this man discharged a pistol at the head of the prince. The ball 
passed through the roof of the mouth and came out under the 
left jaw bone. He called out not to kill the assassin, but too late, 
for two rapiers were already through his body. The flame from 
the pistol had cauterized the wound, and within a month's time 
he was convalescent. 

The prince was saved, but Charlotte the devoted wife, who 
for seven years had so faithfully shared his joys and sorrows, 
lay on her deathbed. For the first eighteen days, when the prince's 
recovery was a matter of serious doubt, the watchful anxiety 
and the despair that overwhelmed her when it seemed that he 
could not rally exhausted her strength. Three days after the 
thanksgiving service for her husband's recovery she sank under 
a violent fever, and while her husband was spared, this woman 
of rare intelligence, accomplishment and gentleness of disposi- 
tion was the victim of the assassin's bullet. 

This and the following story set out in a most interesting 
manner the tender relations subsisting between these two people, 
and the various scenes in which they figured. 



654 HISTORICAL FICTION 

A Lily of France. 1901. Caroline A. Mason 

The hero of this story is William, Prince of Orange, and the 
heroine is Charlotte de Bourbon, his third wife. Charles V of 
Germany and king of Spain was also ruler of the seventeen 
provinces of the Netherlands over each of which was placed a 
stadholder, who ruled in the name of the king. The word really 
means lieutenant. Thus in 1543 these provinces were combined 
under one ruler. Charles introduced the Spanish Inquisition 
into the Netherlands. Many people were tortured and put to 
death for their adherence to the reform doctrines. It was the 
business of the Grand Inquisitor to hunt heretics. When Philip 
succeeded his father on the throne, the people of the Netherlands 
were anxious to know the kind of man he would prove himself 
to be. They did not have to wait long to discover that he was 
a harsh bigot determined to operate the Inquisition to the letter, 
and so published throughout the country the decree. 

Catholics as well as Protestants rose in opposition to these 
measures. One result of the cruelties that followed was a great 
exodus from the country to England and Denmark. From 1567 
to 1585 the Belgic Netherlands lost a million of the most indus- 
trious and capable people in the country, who settled in those 
lands where they would be at peace and away from danger. 

These days of religious persecution in Holland and France are 
described in this story. Many historical personages are introduced. 
William the Silent, the founder of the Dutch Republic, inherited 
the principality of Orange as also large estates in the Netherlands. 
He served in the army of Charles V, and was made governor of 
Holland, Zealand and Utrecht. Bishop Granvelle, who urged a 
policy of fire and sword and was hated by the people, had a force- 
ful enemy in William, who participated in the movement to have 
him removed, and he refused to allow the Inquisition to be intro- 
duced into those parts of which he was stadholder. The leading 
events of William's career are set forth in this story. 

Among the characters is that of Brederode. When the nobles 
formed an alliance in 1565 against the Inquisition, led by Brede- 
rode they walked to the hall of the regent, Margaret, to declare 
the effect the Inquisition was having upon the land. One of 
the officers standing near Margaret said, "Do not fear, it is only 



THE MODERN ERA 655 

a troop of beggars." At a dinner that night given by Brederode 
he passed the wine and proposed that they drink to the health of 
"The Beggars." From that time on both friends and foes of 
Dutch freedom used the term. They were "noble beggars," 
"water beggars" those on the sea, etc. And so in this story Brede- 
rode is the "Great Beggar." 

Jan Van Elselo. 1902. Marion and Gilbert Coleridge 

In 1559 William the Silent negotiated the Treaty of Cateau 
Cambresis with France. It was concluded between France, Eng- 
land and Spain. The thing that stood in the way of the treaty 
was the holding of Calais by England. It was decided that for 
eight years the town should be held by the French who should 
then restore it to England, for which obligation they gave satis- 
factory bonds. The French claims on Milan and Naples were 
surrendered, Emanuel Philibert of Savoy recovered a large part 
of the dominions of his house, and Elizabeth's right to the throne 
of England was recognized. 

It is at this time that this story opens. In 1558 Philip induced 
England to declare war against France. The Dutch who fought 
for Philip distinguished themselves under Egmont especially in 
the battle of Gravelines. So suddenly did the war end that it 
raised suspicions in the Netherlands. The French and Spanish 
kings decided to devote their powers to crush the Huguenots in 
France and the Calvanists in the Netherlands. 

William of Orange was sent as one of Philip's hostages to 
the king of France. The latter supposed that William was fully 
in the secret regarding the sudden closing of the war, that it was 
to exterminate the Protestants. While he and William were on a 
hunting trip he spoke freely of the matter to William, who listened 
to his statement but kept perfectly quiet and in no manner com- 
mitted himself. From this incident he has been called "William 
the Silent." 

This episode is introduced into this story with the result that 
the hero brings warning to Horn and a meeting of the nobles is 
called. When Margaret demanded an oath of allegiance to the 
Roman Church and her policies, Count Horn with William and 
Brederode refused to take it. Jan is sent on a mission to Queen 



656 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Elizabeth of England, and after this contrives to get possession 
of the plans of Philip and Alva. He gets back to Holland at the 
time of the siege of Haarlem in 1573, and thus the story carries 
us into the period of the war for liberty. 

In Troubled Times. 1883. A. S. C. Wallis 

This story is a faithful account of the conditions leading to 
the revolt of the Netherlands, and the manner in which the peo- 
ple dealt with these conditions. Margaret of Parma, the half- 
sister of Philip, was brought by him from Italy and made regent 
in the Netherlands, but as a matter of fact she was wholly under 
the control of Cardinal Granvelle, who was a pupil of Loyola of 
Spain. When the nobles petitioned that the bloody business of the 
Inquisition be stopped, she refused to accede to their request. 
While she allowed preaching to go on, she was secretly organ- 
izing her plans for the bringing in of Spanish forces, and when 
this was done and the people refused to admit them to Valen- 
ciennes she had the town besieged. To serve her purposes she 
exercised duplicity, but was at heart a pronounced inquisitor. 
She came to see very clearly that the sending of the Spanish army 
into the Netherlands would simply depopulate the country and 
create disorder, and tried to dissuade Philip from this purpose. 
He refused to listen to her and she resigned her office. 

This story gives a good delineation of her as also of other lead- 
ing personages having a vital relation to this time. 

Rudolph of Rosenfeldt. 1892. John W. Spear 

We have already related the circumstances of the term "Beg- 
gars" and the manner in which they formed themselves into a 
body. The "Water Beggars" or "Beggars of the Sea," at first 
freebooters and pirates, became eventually the liberators of their 
country. 

When the reformed worship was forbidden and Margaret 
brought her soldiers into the country, the people of Valenciennes, 
in 1567, refused to admit them. She then ordered them to besiege 
the city. It was at this time she demanded an oath of obedience 
to the Roman Church. Valenciennes was famous for its manufac- 
ture of lace. 



THE MODERN ERA 657 

These events are set forth in this story, which gives a good 
description of the ravages of the Inquisition. After a siege of 
five months, Valenciennes surrendered. Two hundred of the 
people were put to death in cold blood. 



CHAPTER II 

THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE 

William of Orange came to realize that there was but one 
hope left to the country and that was its complete separation 
from Spain, and the establishment of independence. He then 
began to raise an army. The revolt of the Netherlands began in 
1568. "This was the beginning of that 'eighty years' war,' during 
which 350,000 Spaniards or their mercenaries were to find graves 
in the soil of the Netherlands." 

The Stories 
The Burgomaster's Wife. 1882. Georg Ebers 

In 1567 Philip sent to the Netherlands as governor, the Duke 
of Alva, a narrow-minded, blood-thirsty bigot. His policy was 
fire and the sword. His measures, as already noted, created an 
exodus of a million of the best people of the land. Tortures, 
hangings and beheadings became the order of the day. He de- 
clared "that the king would rather see the whole country a desert 
than allow a single heretic live in it." 

At Heiligerlee the patriots won a great victory over the Span- 
iards by leading them, by a ruse, into swampy ground, and cap- 
tured their stores and cannon. 

Alva then demanded from each city its charter. The Council 
of Leyden flatly refused to give up its charter. This city was then 
marked for vengeance. The siege began in October 1573. When, 
in March 1574, Alva was compelled to take his forces from Ley- 
den to meet Louis of Nassau, the city had relief for about two 
months. During this time, however, the Dutch failed to lay up a 
stock of food and to destroy the Spanish forts. The Spaniards 
then returned under Valdez, who erected about the town 62 forts. 
It was a dark moment for Leyden, and surrender stared the Dutch 
in the face. But William the Silent was busy. Admiral Boisot 

658 



THE MODERN ERA 659 

and his terrible band of Water Beggars of 1,000 men, with 200 
flat-bottomed boats went to the great dike running westward 
forty miles through the country. Great breaches were cut into 
the dike and a lake of water rolled on toward Ley den. The Dutch 
motto was "Better a drowned land than a lost land." The people 
in the city were at the point of starving with a plague to help on 
the work of famine. The water floated the boats of the Water 
Beggars to the Spanish forts, all of which were taken. Leyden 
was saved. The first thing Boisot did was to lead a procession 
to the church "to give thanks to God who had made a sea upon 
the dry land, and rescued them." 

The siege and deliverance are detailed in this story, which 
well describes the conditions in the city, hemmed in all sides by 
the forts of Valdez, and with famine and plague taking off the 
inhabitants. Then the deliverance, in which is set forth the 
cutting of the dikes and surprising and capturing the forts. The 
same historical events are given in Dr. Adrian (1897) by Deborah 
Alcock. 

Brothers Five. 1910. Violet T. Kirke 

With the assistance of the French, Louis of Nassau seized 
Mons. The spies of Alva had seen him but a few days before 
in Paris, and this rapid move was a great surprise. It necessi- 
tated the drawing of Alva's troops out of Holland to recover 
Mons. It was at this time that the Massacre of St. Bartholomew 
in Paris occurred, August 1572. After the Spaniards had fired 
about 15,000 cannon balls into Mons, Louis was compelled to 
surrender the city. 

This story carries the events of the war from the time the 
revolt began to the capture of Mons by the Spanish and on to 
the battle of Mookerheide. The city of Leyden was still being 
besieged, and Louis of Nassau, brother of William, with an army 
of 10,000 crossed the Rhine to meet William and join their forces 
for the relief of Leyden. When he reached the heath of Moor, 
Alva met him and there was fought one of the bloodiest battles 
of the war. After their forces had been driven back, the two 
brothers, Louis and Henry, led "a desperate cavalry charge and 
plunged into a whirlwind of dust and blood. They were never 
again seen nor were their bodies found." 



66o. HISTORICAL FICTION 

The Prince's Messenger. Albert Lee 

This story takes us back to an earlier period of the war in 
which Alva instituted what the people called the "Council of 
Blood." It consisted of twelve members, the business of which 
was to hunt down heretics. "From a judicial point of view the 
proceedings were a mere farce. Whole batches of the accused 
were condemned together offhand; and from one end of the 
Netherlands to the other the executioners were busy with stake, 
sword and gibbet, until the whole land ran red with blood." 

The messenger of the Prince, of this story, has some exciting 
experiences, first in learning of a plot for the assassination of 
William of Orange and the methods pursued to foil the plotters, 
and then entering Paris with a message to the king while the Mas- 
sacre of Bartholomew is raging. Leaving France he reaches Ley- 
den where he is held by the siege and witnesses the horrors 
through which the city passed. 

For Faith and Fatherland. 1 876. Miss Mary Bramston 

Failing to get their pay the Spanish troops, in 1576, mutinied. 
They wasted the open country, and after defeating the patriot 
troops attacked Antwerp. Driving back the garrison of raw 
recruits, they began looting the city. They burned 500 of the 
finest homes, murdered men, women and children, making no dis- 
tinction between Catholics and Protestants, and left strewn on 
the streets 2,500 corpses. For three days was continued what 
has been known as the "Spanish Fury." After securing two 
million crowns worth of money, jewels and plate they squandered 
most of it in revelry and gambling. 

The sacking of this friendly city brought over to the Protes- 
tant party the Catholic southern provinces. Under the influence 
of William they united in what is known as the Pacification of 
Ghent, which demanded that the Spaniards be expelled, and that 
William of Orange be accepted as governor. Thus the seventeen 
provinces of the Netherlands were bound together as one. An- 
other result of this outrage was that England became an ally of 
Holland. 

William saw the need of a more stable union of those states 
that embraced the principles of the Reformation. He secured a 



THE MODERN ERA 661 

federation of the seven northern provinces, which sent their dele- 
gates to the conference at Utrecht, where the federation was fully 
effected. "This was the celebrated Union of Utrecht, signed Jan- 
uary 23, 1579, by which the United States of the Netherlands 
came into being, with a written constitution, and under the red, 
white and blue flag, a union that was to last for over two hun- 
dred years, and on which the Dutch Republic was to be built. 
This event is a landmark in the history of freedom ; for it ex- 
erted a powerful influence in the making of the English Com- 
monwealth and the American republic." 

This important period from the Pacification of Ghent to this 
union of Utrecht is set forth in this story, in which this great 
event, which became the foundation of the Dutch Republic, holds 
an important place. 

King Stork of the Netherlands. 1902. Albert Lee 

Upon the head of William, Philip put a price, offering a large 
sum of money to any one who should succeed in killing him. This 
was in 1580. Attempts to assassinate him had already been made, 
as we have noted. In 1584, when he was about to be made Count 
of Holland, a young man, Balthazar Gerard, by a plausible story, 
secured from William some money with which he bought a pis- 
tol. On the following day he shot the prince as he was leaving 
the dinner table. Gerard was horribly tortured and put to death. 
William left ten daughters and three sons. All of the daughters 
were married into princely houses "so that the blood of William 
the Silent runs in the veins of nearly all the royal families of 
Europe, making a most wonderful 'Orange tree/ " He has always 
been called the Father of his Country, and like Washington his 
place has been established among the creators of nations. 

This story takes us back to the time when the price was placed 
upon the head of William, four years before his death. Then 
comes the scene of his assassination. Then, in 1584, followed the 
siege, by the Duke of Parma, of Antwerp, which fell the follow- 
ing year. The king of Stork, in the story, conspires with the Duke 
for the capitulation of Antwerp and its transference to the Span- 
iards. The story is a fine presentation of the events covering the 
last years of William of Orange. 



662 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Other Stories: 

Raoul, Gentleman of Fortune (1907) by Henry C. Bailey, 
which sets forth the siege of Leyden and that of Antwerp. 

Shut In (1894) by Evelyn E. Green, giving the siege and fall 
of Antwerp. 

By England's Aid. 1890. George A. Henty 

In 1586 the city of Sluys was besieged, and in 1588 the Eng- 
lish destroyed the Spanish Armada. The Dutch and English joined 
their fleets and captured Portugal. The siege of Sluys and the 
destruction of the Armada are the early events of this story. 

After the death of William, his son Maurice was made cap- 
tain-general of the united states. In 1590 he selected 68 young 
fellows and hid them under the deck of a turf-boat. The vessel 
with its cargo of turf was brought to the walls of Breda and by 
the canal into the city. At midnight the men left their hiding- 
place, seized the citadel and signaled the Dutch and English troops 
outside. The scheme was a perfect success and the city was soon 
taken. 

Maurice had lots of initiative in the creation of new methods, 
and successes attended his ventures on every hand. In 1592 he 
captured Steenwijk, and in the following year he besieged and 
captured Groningen. With the aid of the English he gained a 
brilliant victory at Turnhout. In 1596 a combined fleet of Eng- 
lish and Dutch under Lord Howard and the Earl of Essex entered 
the harbor of Cadiz and the Spanish vessels placed there for the 
defence of the city were entirely defeated. With 3,000 men Essex 
captured the town. At Nieuport, Maurice in 1600 won a tremen- 
dous victory over Albert of Austria, governor of the Spanish 
Netherlands, in which the English played a vital part. Over one 
hundred battle flags were taken from the Spanish. 

The siege of Ostend was begun by the Spaniards in 1601 and 
lasted for three years. The fighting during this time involved 
heavy losses on both sides. Cannon balls and red-hot shot were 
poured into the town like a storm. While the Spanish army was 
held here it was prevented from invading the Netherlands, and 
when at last the city surrendered to Spinola he found nothing 
but ruins. 



THE MODERN ERA 663 

This story traces these stirring events from the siege of Sluys 
and the famous British victory over the Spaniards through these 
great achievements of Maurice to the costly siege of Ostend. 
The latter cost the Spaniards over 50,000 men. 

By the Peace of Munster in 1648, which closed the Eighty 
Years* War that had brought to Spain such woeful exhaustion, 
she was compelled to acknowledge the independence of Holland. 

Spinoza. 1882. Berthold Auerbach 

The author (1812-1882), a German poet and novelist, was 
born at Nordstetten in Wurtemberg. He was of Jewish descent. 
He pursued his studies at the Universities of Tubingen, Munich 
and Heidelberg. His life was devoted to literature. His first 
production had to do with Judaism, and it was his intention to 
bring forth a series of novels related to Jewish history. Two of 
the series were published, Poet and Merchant and Spinoza. The 
best expression of his abilities is perhaps to be found in On the 
Heights. In this work "he revealed an unrivalled insight into 
the soul of the Southern German country folk, and especially 
of the peasants of the Black Forest and the Bavarian Alps." His 
last works are more distinguished for their psychological analysis. 

Sixteen years before the war closed that brought independence 
to Holland was born in Amsterdam of Jewish parents Baruch 
Spinoza (1632-1677), who was destined to have a profound effect 
upon the development of modern philosophy. He devoted himself 
assiduously to the study of the Bible and the Talmud. Judaism 
did not satisfy him, and while he did not openly pass over to 
Christianity he broke away from Judaism. For this he had to 
suffer persecution and his life was in danger. On this account 
he made his residence at the Hague, where he devoted himself 
to philosophical and scientific pursuits. The Elector Palatine 
offered him the professorship of Philosophy at Heidelberg, but 
this he declined and supported himself by grinding optical glasses. 
He lived in the midst of the last scenes of the war and saw Hol- 
land a free nation ; he died at the age of forty-four. "In his life 
there was mirrored the unclouded clearness and exalted serenity 
of the perfect sage . . . gentle and benevolent, with a char- 
acter of singular excellence and purity, he faithfully illustrated in 
his life the doctrines of his philosophy." 



664 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Spinoza's great work was the Ethica. His system was estab- 
lished upon three conceptions, and given these, all else may be 
derived with absolute necessity. This system begins with the 
Cartesian doctrine of substance, the definition of which admits 
of but one substance, which exists through itself alone and hence 
is in the nature of the case infinite, unlimited and unconditioned. 

Descartes, however, conceived of two other substances — mind 
and matter. These Spinoza adopted as the two basic forms under 
which he subsumes all reality. In other words, by these attributes 
the one substance expresses itself to us. 

Spinoza's third conception was that of Mode, in which things 
under the attribute of mind or thought are ideas, and those under 
the attribute of extension are bodies. Thus we have his three 
great conceptions — Substance, Attribute, Mode. But "the grand 
feature of Spinoza's philosophy is that it buries everything indi- 
vidual and particular, as finite, in the abyss of the divine sub- 
stance," the necessary conclusion from which is Pantheism. But 
the failure to establish the vital connection between God and the 
world is the defect of the Spinozistic system. 

In this story, in the form of conversations, the principles of 
this system are set forth. The circumstances of Spinoza's life, his 
interest in Christianity, his break with Judaism, and his expul- 
sion from the Jewish order, are well detailed. The romantic 
feature of the work lies in his love for a Christian girl. 

The Black Tulip. 1850. Alexandre Dumas 

From 1650 to 1672 the head of the Dutch government was a 
pensionary, that is, one who is paid a salary. The man who acted 
in this capacity was John De Witt, a man of fine abilities and in 
every sense patriotic. In the war with the English, which arose 
from trade troubles, and in which Tromp, the Dutch Admiral, 
was so successful, De Witt in 1665 made an alliance with France. 
In a great naval battle the Dutch suffered a serious defeat, losing 
nineteen ships. But in 1666 this was somewhat retrieved by De 
Ruyter, who gained a great victory in a four days' battle. The 
Dutch used chain-shot, which it is said De Witt invented. 

There were two parties bitterly opposed to each other, the 
adherents of Orange and those of De Witt. The feeling ran high 



THE MODERN ERA 665 

throughout the country. When Charles II of England in an alli- 
ance with Louis XIV proposed the destruction of the Dutch Re- 
public things looked dark for little Holland. The French army 
invaded Holland, but when near Amsterdam the people threat- 
ened to drown them by cutting the dikes. 

The country was torn by party strife. A great riot broke 
out in the Hague. Thousands of country people, adherents of 
the house of Orange, came into the city (1672), and joining with 
the mob rushed to the prison where De Witt's brother was very 
ill. John was at his bedside when the mob broke into the room, 
dragged the two men into the street, murdered them and mutilated 
their bodies. 

These conditions are dealt with by this story which sets forth 
the relation of the two De Witts to the government of the coun- 
try, the relation in which William III of Orange stood to these 
upheavals, and the brutal act of the mob. 

There is also introduced into the story what was a leading 
interest in Holland, and has been called tulipomania. Holland 
became famous for its beautiful flowers, and its flower farms. 
The tulips were of many varieties, and the price at certain times 
was very high. Large fortunes were made in trading in bulbs. 
"For many months even boys and girls, as well as grown men 
and women, thought of nothing else but of buying and selling 
tulips and of trying to get rich in the business of gambling with 
flowers." 

The heroic struggle of the Netherlands for liberty, and the 
rising of the Dutch Republic form a most interesting chapter in 
modern history. In looking back over the centuries we can appre- 
ciate the great influence Holland exerted in the development of 
European civilization. To lead in intellectual and religious liberty, 
in the enlargement of the bounds of human knowledge, and in the 
union and reconciliation of the Orient and the Occident, were 
surely great achievements for a country so small in area and a 
people so few in numbers. 



RUSSIA— POLAND 

CHAPTER I 
FROM IVAN IV TO CATHERINE II 

In the first half of the thirteenth century, the invasion of the 
Mongols who swept over Russia, not only brought an end to 
all self-government, but also to intellectual progress and advance 
in civilization, the two latter facts accounting sufficiently for the 
former. In the last quarter of the fourteenth century Dimitri IV 
opened the way for the escape from this Mongolian yoke by his 
great victory over that race. When the Modern Era opened, 
Ivan the Great was breaking this foreign power by creating dis- 
orders among them, and Ivan # IV carried still further this libera- 
tion of Russia and extended its rule over large regions. 

By comparing the Russia of 1492 with the other states of 
Europe at that time, the difference in intellectual and political 
development will at once appear. Russia is so suggestive of dis- 
order, anarchy, nihilism, intrigue, that we are likely to lose sight 
of all that has been attempted there in the struggle with semi- 
barbarian conditions to lift the people to a higher plane. There 
is something about Russian history that makes it a rather attrac- 
tive field for the writer of historical fiction. 

Historical Outline. 

Ivan IV, 1 533- 1 584. 

Assumes title of Czar. 

Conquest of Kazan. 

Conquest of Astrakhan. 

Conquest of western part of Siberia. 
Feodor I, 1584- 1598. 

Period of anarchy and disorder. 
Michael, 1613-1645. 

Founder of Romanoff Dynasty. 

Karelia and Ingria ceded to Sweden. 

666 



THE MODERN ERA 667 

Alexis, 1 645- 1 676. 

Territory ceded to Poland. 
Feoder II, 1676- 1682. 
Peter the Great, 1682- 1725. 

Azov taken from the Turks. 

Karelia, Ingria, Esthonia, Livonia, taken from Sweden. 

Foundation of St. Petersburg. 

Greatness of Russian history dates from Peter. 
Catherine I, 1725- 1727. 
Peter II, 1727- 1730. 
Anna Ivanovna, 1730- 1740. 
Ivan VI, 1740-41. 
Elizabeth Petrovna, 1741-1 762. 

Seven Years' War. 
Peter III, 1762. Deposed. Murdered. 

I. From Ivan IV to Peter the Great — Reign of Ivan IV 

The Stories 

A Boyar of the Terrible. 1896. Frederick J. Whishaw 

An aristocratic upper class of society was called the Boyars, 
by the aid of whom the Tsars of Moscow had ruled. This class 
was dealt a great blow and was practically destroyed by Ivan IV, 
called Ivan the Terrible. He certainly earned the appellation. 
When he was a child the Boyars had taken possession of the gov- 
ernment, and of that time Ivan said, "My brother and I were 
treated like the children of beggars." In 1543 at the age of thir- 
teen, he observed that it was necessary that his signature be 
attached to everything, and discovered that he was the master. 
He seized the chief offender among the boyars, and had him killed 
by his hounds, banished others and began his reign. Four years 
afterwards he assumed the title of Gzar, and shortly after that 
married Anastasia. The boy who was so gentle, loving pleasure 
and of a confiding nature was transformed into "Ivan the Terri- 
ble." As the conspiracies of the nobility came to light his rage 
increased, and at a later period he devoutly asked the prayers of 
the Church for 3,470 of his victims. 



668 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Ivan's conflict with this aristocratic ruling class, which trans- 
formed him into the terrible ruler he became, is brought out in this 
story. The circumstances of his boyhood and the tyranny of his 
reign are set forth. He has been called the Nero of Russia. His 
alliance with Elizabeth of England is an episode. The commer- 
cial treaty was signed by Francis Bacon. A Cossack robber, 
sentenced to death, escaped to Siberia and conquered a portion of 
it, which he offered to Ivan in exchange for a pardon. The acqui- 
sition of this district is related in the story. The significance of 
this acquisition is seen in the fact that "since the beginning of the 
nineteenth century it is said one million political exiles have been 
sent there, and they continue to go at the rate of twenty thou- 
sand a year." 

Taras Bulba. 1834. Nikolai V. Gogol 

This famous Russian writer (1809- 1852) was for a time em- 
ployed by the government. He then became an instructor in his- 
tory and literature, which profession he abandoned to devote 
himself to writing. His productions indicate his unusual ability 
in his portrayal of Russian life. 

The word "Cossack," a Tartar word, means "robber." In the 
sixteenth century the term came to be applied to all hired labor- 
ers who had no fixed residence. It was afterwards applied to 
mercenary soldiers. When the Polish government made use of 
them as soldiers, and then in peaceful times tried to make them 
workmen, they rebelled against this measure and sought a local- 
ity for themselves. This was called the "Zaporozhia." They had 
no sense of nationality and looked upon the Crimea, Turkey and 
Moscow itself as furnishing opportunities for plunder. When the 
Poles began to invade their districts the Cossacks regarded them 
as their bitter enemies. They became the defenders of the ortho- 
dox faith and those who maintained it. They had two ruling 
objects: the defence of Russia and her creed, and the driving of 
the Poles out of the Ukraine. 

This story of strife, war, and the exciting exploits of individ- 
uals, sets forth the conflicts of the Cossacks of Zaporozhia. For 
this period in Russia, during the reign of Ivan IV, the reader 
is also referred to the description given by Count A. K. Tolstoy 
in his story The Terrible Czar (1904). 



THE MODERN ERA 669 

To the Reign of Michael 

Ivan IV was followed by his imbecile son Feodor, who came 
under the control of Boris Godunof, a boyar, who brought about 
the marriage of Feodor with the boyar's sister, Irene. In 1591 
Dmitri, the son of Ivan IV, died mysteriously at the age of five, 
though it is believed the death was no mystery to Boris, who, when 
Feodor died, came to the throne. At his death came the news that 
Dmitri was not dead, but was coming from Poland with the 
proofs of his identity. In the most credulous manner the people 
accepted him and crowned him as czar. The first thing the 
impostor did was to make sure that the son and wife of Boris were 
assassinated, and then carried things with a high hand, supported 
by his Polish wife and her retinue of Polish Catholics. The 
people became enraged with these doings, the usurper was slain, 
and his body left in the palace as an object of contempt. 

The Story 

A Splendid Impostor. 1903. Frederick J. Whishaw 

The historical setting of this story is this imposture, the vari- 
ous circumstances connected with the impostor's coming to power, 
the insurrection that broke out, his attempt to escape, and his 
assassination. 

Reign of Alexis 

Alexis the son of Michael succeeded to the throne in 1645. 
Under him Russia advanced, and in some respects Alexis was the 
precursor of his great son, Peter the Great. 

The Stories 

With Fire and Sword. 1890. Henryk Sienkiewicz 

During the reign of Alexis, the Cossacks on the Dnieper, who 
had been in a manner subject to the Poles, became subject to the 
Russian government. They had been treated most contemptu- 
ously by the Poles, and after a long series of insults they were 
ready to revolt under their leader, Bogdan. They were joined 
by the Tartars. They took Lemberg and became master of all 
the Palatinate. The Cossacks demanded four things in particu- 



670 HISTORICAL FICTION 

lar: that their former privileges be restored to them; that the 
union of the Greek and Latin Churches be dissolved ; the expulsion 
of the Jews; the expulsion of the Jesuits from the Ukraine. 
These terms were rejected, and taking the Cossacks unawares, the 
Poles inflicted upon them a great slaughter. In 1651 the battle of 
Beresteczko was fought in which Bogdan was defeated. The 
latter then sent an embassy to the Czar, declaring their willingness 
to take the oath of allegiance to Russia. From this time the Cos- 
sacks have constituted a portion of the Russian Empire. 

This story by this eminent Polish writer depicts this period of 
slaughter and bloodshed when the Cossacks revolted from Poland. 

Nathalia. 1913. Frederick J. Whishaw 

Nathalia (Natalia) was the second wife of Alexis. It was 
while dining with one of the boyars that he was greatly attracted 
by a young woman, who had been adopted by her uncle, the boyar. 
Shortly after this Alexis said to him, "I have found a husband for 
your Nathalia," the husband being the Czar himself. Through 
her contact with Europeans in her uncled home, Natalia Narish- 
kina embraced European ideas, and "it was no doubt she who first 
instilled the leaven of reform into the mind of her infant son, 
Peter." 

This story gives the facts of this marriage and the birth of 
Peter, afterwards Peter the Great. It sets forth the "Period of 
Troubles," as one has said, "a chapter telling of peace and tran- 
quility in this land would have to be invented." There were two 
families of children left by Alexis. After the death of his son 
and successor, Feodor, the Narishkins, the people of Natalia, 
came into conflict with the family by his first wife, Maria Milo- 
slavskaia, regarding the successor of Feodor. This strife, in 
which the Court was broken up into several factions, is detailed 
by this story, and is set forth strongly in the following one, by 
which we are introduced to the next division of our study. 

II. Reign of Peter the Great 

As already noted, Peter was the son of Alexis by his second 
wife, Nathalia Narishkina. His great ambition was to raise his 
country out of its state of barbarism and give it a standing with 



THE MODERN ERA 671 

nations of a higher civilization. He spent some time in Holland 
and England, from which he gathered useful information. He 
built a navy, established schools, introduced new methods of agri- 
culture, established industries and founded laws for the better- 
ment of his subjects. 

The Stories 

On the Red Staircase. 1896. Mary Imlay Taylor 

As noted above, the Court was divided into factions regarding 
the successor of Feodor. Ivan was next in the line of succession, 
but was both an invalid and feeble-minded. Peter was therefore 
proclaimed Czar. His half-sister, Sophia, the daughter of Alexis 
by his first wife, was a strong-minded, resourceful woman and 
objected that her brother Ivan should be forced out of what she 
considered his right by priority. She headed a revolt of the 
Strieltsi, who constituted the praetorian guard of Russia, to place 
Ivan on the throne. The result was that several of the relatives 
of the Empress Nathalia, who demanded the placing of Peter on 
the throne, were killed. The revolt succeeded to the extent that 
Ivan was to share the throne with Peter and, considering his 
mental condition, Sophia was to govern in his name. This dual 
rule lasted for seven years, until Peter was seventeen years of age. 

The plots and schemes of the factions of the Court in this 
matter of succession are described by this story. The revolt that 
resulted, with Sophia at the head of the Strieltsi, and the placing 
of Ivan on the throne with Peter, with Sophia as regent, are all 
detailed, with the introduction of leading personages. 

Boris the Bear Hunt. 1894. Frederick J. Whishaw 

The marriage of Peter with Eudoxia in 1689 proved to be an 
unhappy union. A second revolt of the Strieltsi then broke out, 
which ended in many of the conspirators being put to death, and 
Sophia being confined within a convent. In 1696 Ivan died and 
Peter was sole ruler. In 1709 Mazeppa, at the head of the Cos- 
sacks, revolted. He was joined by Charles XII of Sweden in his 
invasion of Russia, the latter realizing that it was Peter's design 
to seize the Baltic provinces. Charles was completely defeated 



672 HISTORICAL FICTION 

at Lesna, and in the battle of Poltava the Swedes were defeated 
and routed. 

This story covers most of these events, portraying especially 
the conflict with Mazeppa and Charles and the battle of Poltava — 
one of the decisive battles in Russian history. 

An Imperial Lover. 1897. Mary Imlay Taylor 

At the age of seventeen Peter had married Eudoxia, who 
belonged to a proud Russian family. He had never loved her and 
she regarded his reform measures with a contempt which created 
in him similar feelings toward her. After his great victory at 
Azov he issued orders that she must not be at the palace when 
he returned. They were finally divorced. 

When Marienburg surrendered in 1702, among the prisoners 
was a girl sixteen years of age, Catherine Skavronskaya, who had 
just married a Swedish soldier killed during the fighting. While 
of very humble extraction, and unable to write her name, her 
beauty attracted Peter, who took her under his protection. "Little 
did Catherine think when weeping for her Swedish lover that she 
was on her way to the throne of Russia." 

This story deals with this period between the time that Peter 
was divorced from Eudoxia and the finding of Catherine at 
Marienburg, and while he was accomplishing the foundation of 
St. Petersburg. Catherine was from this time and until their 
marriage closely associated with him, and in his conflict with the 
Turks in 171 1 he would not be separated from her and she was 
his companion during the campaign. When he was hemmed in 
at the river Pruth and was facing defeat, he bribed the Grand 
Vizier, Balthazi, with 2,000 rubles, to which Catherine added her 
jewels that had caught the eye of the Turk and won him over. 
This sacrifice on her part won Peter's undying gratitude. Over 
him she established an influence such as no one else had ever had. 

She That Hesitates. 1904. Harris Dickson 

One of the saddest events in the career of Peter was his trou- 
ble with his son, Alexis, the son of Eudoxia. After he had ban- 
ished her to a monastery he indulged great hopes for his son. 
The latter, however, was an obstinate, indolent youth. He mar- 



THE MODERN ERA 673 

ried the Princess Charlotte of Brunswick, who, amiable and 
attractive, was subjected to such cruelty that she died at an early 
age. There are some historical grounds for the belief that she 
did not die, and that after the death of her husband she came to 
America. 

In the meantime Peter had discovered that his son was deeply 
involved in a treasonable conspiracy. He compelled him to sign 
a document renouncing all rights to the crown. Devoid of any 
filial affection, Alexis now plunged into schemes designing his 
father's death and the overturning of Peter's great work. He 
was a menace both to Peter and the best interests of Russia, and 
the father handed him over to the highest tribunal of the State. 
He was condemned to death, and the sentence was executed, but 
by what method is not known. 

Dickson's story sets forth the relations of Alexis and Char- 
lotte, describing the attempts made to prevent this union, their 
marriage and his cruel treatment. The character of Alexis is 
analyzed, his treasonable conduct and his death. These facts per- 
taining to Alexis and resulting in his death are set forth also in 
the story, Near the Tsar, Near Death, by F. J. Whishaw. 

From Peter the Great to Catherine II 
Peter was followed on the throne by his wife Catherine, as 
Catherine I, who reigned from 1725 to 1727. Then followed the 
brief reign of Peter II, and the ten years' reign of Anna Ivanovna, 
who was succeeded by Ivan VI. The reign of twenty-one years of 
Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter the Great, practically closes this 
period, as Peter III was deposed and murdered shortly after his 
accession to the throne. 

The Stories 
Ivan de Biron. 1874. Arthur Helps 

This English essayist and historian (1813-1875) was born at 
Streatham, Surrey. He was educated at Eton and Trinity Col- 
lege, Cambridge. He was appointed Clerk of the Privy Council 
in i860. He served Queen Victoria in editing the speeches of 
the Prince Consort, and in 1868 prepared for the press her own 
Highland Journals. His largest success lay in his historical writ- 
ings rather than in his novels or dramatic attempts. 



674 HISTORICAL FICTION 

At the close of her reign Catherine named as her successor 
Peter, the son of the unfortunate Alexis, who should be suc- 
ceeded by Anna, niece of Peter the Great, and she by Elizabeth, 
daughter of Peter the Great. Peter II reigned but three years and 
was followed by Anna Ivanovna, daughter of Ivan IV who 
reigned conjointly with Peter the Great until his death. During 
her reign German influence dominated Russian politics. Gustav 
Biron (or Biren) held the most influential of those positions held 
by the Germans. For this man Anna had an unusual infatuation 
which gave him a ruling place in state affairs. Her reign was 
not an eventful one, for there was nothing about her to create 
anything of a startling nature. For a short time after her death 
Biron acted as regent, her grand-nephew, Ivan VI, having suc- 
ceeded her. But the German office-holders had become very dis- 
tasteful to the Russians, and a conspiracy had been set on foot to 
drive them out of the country. 

Shortly after the death of Anna, Field-Marshal Munich ac- 
complished his object. Biron was arrested in bed and banished 
to Siberia. Munich performed distinguished services for Russia 
and was one of the best generals of the day, and in the four years' 
war with the Turks he and the Irishman, Lacy, had command of 
the Russian forces. 

These characters enter into this story in their various relations 
and interrelations. It describes the great favor in which Biron 
was held by the Empress and the distinction it brought him. The 
infant emperor was the son of Anna's niece, and to his mother, 
Anna, Biron became intolerable. To rid her of this burden, 
Munich had him banished as stated. This story brings us to the 
next reign. 

The Mark of the Cross. 1911. Edgar Swan 

Elizabeth Petrovna was the beautiful daughter of Peter the 
Great. The working out of a plot brought her to the throne in 
1 741. Anna, the mother of Ivan VI, and her husband, the Prince 
of Brunswick, were taken away in the night and sent into exile, 
while Ivan was confined within a prison. The people were not in 
favor of the succession coming through the line of Ivan, and were 
in favor of the line of Peter the Great, and hence this high-handed 



THE MODERN ERA 675 

affair was quite sure to succeed. Munich's turn came, and he was 
banished to Siberia. Vanity was one of the characteristics of 
Elizabeth. 

The work of Peter the Great now bore fruit in the rise of 
Russia. Scholars and artists flocked to St. Petersburg, to the 
Academy of Art and Science. French culture and fashion began 
to dominate, and Russia took her place among the nations of 
Europe. Elizabeth was courted and flattered. 

Elizabeth selected as her successor her nephew, Peter III. 
Frederick the Great of Prussia, whom Elizabeth opposed in his 
war with Maria Theresa by joining forces with the latter, had his 
own designs regarding Russia. He managed to bring about the 
marriage of Peter, his cousin, with a German Princess, Sophia, 
who was renamed Catherine when she embraced the Greek faith 
of the Russian Church. 

This period of the reign of Elizabeth and the distinction to 
which the court and nation had been raised are portrayed by this 
story. In the story, A Forbidden Name, by Frederick Whishaw, 
the beginning of this reign is set forth in dealing with the impris- 
onment of Ivan VI, in which he was to spend his years, and at 
the close of Elizabeth's reign be put to death, probably by Cath- 
erine, to remove from her path such a claimant to the throne. 



CHAPTER II 

FROM CATHERINE II TO THE PRESENT 

TIME 

For one hundred and fifty years Russia is to pass through a 
series of wars, and to experience great changes politically and 
territorially. This period opened with the successes of Catherine 
II, by which the boundaries of Russia were extended. Then 
followed other wars with their attending defeats and losses. 
Under Nicholas II much was gained and much was lost both in 
territory and prestige, and rebellion followed. During this whole 
period two of her emperors were assassinated and her last em- 
peror was deposed and executed during the late war. Today 
Russia is in the greatest struggle of her life in the attempt to solve 
her problem, and to establish a good and enduring government. 

Historical Outline. 

Catherine II, 1 762-1 796. 

Peter III deposed and murdered. 

Two wars with Turkey. 

Three partitions of Poland. 

Rebellion of Pugatcheff. 
Paul I, 1 796- 1 80 1. 

Alliance with England. 

Severity of his measures. 

Assassinated. 
Alexander I, 1801-1825. 

War with Napoleon. 

War with Turkey. 

War with Sweden and Finland. 

War with Austria. 
Nicholas I, 1825-1855. 

War with Persia. 

The Crimean War. 

676 



THE MODERN ERA 677 

Alexander II, 1855-1881. 

Treaty of Paris. Loss of territory. 

War with Turkey. 

Assassinated. 
Alexander III, 1881-1894. 

Persecution of the Jews. 
Nicholas II, 1894-1917. 

Territorial gains in China. 

War with Japan. 

Rebellion and reforms. 

The War of the Nations. 

Deposed and executed. 

Reign of Catherine II 

We have already noted the designs of Frederick the Great in 
securing the marriage of Peter III with the German Princess 
Sophia. So devoted was Peter to Frederick that he restored to 
him the Russian conquests. He is characterized as a silly drunk- 
ard, devoid of patriotism, and lost no time in making himself 
intolerable to his wife, with whom he was unhappily mated. He 
planned to rid himself of her, disinherit her son Paul, and even 
favored bringing Ivan VI from his prison and making him his 
heir. He laughed at everything Russian, and was deposed by a 
court revolution. 

With the assistance of her lover, Orlov, Catherine had him 
thrown into prison. She declared that she had him taken to a 
palace in a "pleasant spot" by Orlov. A few days later a great 
struggle was heard in the room, and Peter's dead body was found 
with marks on the throat. In 1881 a letter came to light, written 
to Catherine by Orlov, stating that in separating Peter and Prince 
Bariatinski, who had come to blows, he had accidentally killed 
Peter. Catherine was proclaimed Empress. 

The Stories 
Shoes of Gold. 1909. Hamilton Drummond 

The deposing of Peter followed by his assassination and the 
taking of the throne by Catherine are fully described by this story. 
It is held by some writers that there is not sufficient evidence to 
prove that Catherine was implicated in the death of her husband. 



678 HISTORICAL FICTION 

Others declare that she was well aware of what would happen 
when she placed him in the care of Orlov. This story also treats 
of a plot to bring Russia and France together and thus separate 
her from German interest and influence. 

The Captain's Daughter. 1836. Alexander S. Pushkin 

The author (1799-1837) was born at Moscow. He barely 
escaped being sent to Siberia early in his life because of his Ode 
to Liberty. Instead he was given an official post in Southern 
Russia. When Nicholas came to the throne in 1825 he was re- 
called and made the imperial historiographer. He had a brilliant 
career. He is still Russia's greatest poet. Dostoievski says, 
"Pushkin created two types, Oniegin and Tatiana, who sum up in 
themselves the most intimate secrets of Russian psychology ; with 
the utmost conceivable artistic skill they represent its past and 
present, and indicate its future in traits of inimitable beauty." 
His death resulted from a duel that he fought with his brother- 
in-law. 

In 1773 Pougachev, who declared himself to be Peter III, 
raised an insurrection. He was a Cossack of the Don. It was 
essentially a peasant's war in which landed proprietors and their 
families and officers of garrisons taken by the impostor, were 
slaughtered. He was absolutely illiterate. He seized several 
cities. Defeated, he would retreat into the forests. But some of 
his followers became tired of him and the insurrection and they 
handed him over to Suvorov. They took him to Moscow in an 
iron cage and there with four others he was publicly executed 

(1775). 

Pushkin wrote a history of this war but his story, "The Cap- 
tain's Daughter," which is founded upon these events, will be 
more generally read. The story is full of charm and is realistic 
in setting forth the scenes of this insurrection and the danger to 
which it subjected the country. The two lovers are mixed up in 
this war, and he, in trying to save his lady love, is compelled to 
deal with Pougachev, and is arrested on a charge of being in his 
service. He is sentenced to Siberia. Marya, his betrothed, the 
daughter of Captain MironofT, pleads for him at court, explains 
concerning herself what he would not explain in his own defence, 



THE MODERN ERA 679 

convinces Catherine II of his innocence and thus saves him. He 
is present at the execution of the impostor and describes it in the 
simplest form: "I was present in Moscow when Pugatchef was 
executed in the following year. The famous robber chief recog- 
nized me as I stood in the crowd, and bade me farewell with a 
silent movement of his head. A few moments later and the execu- 
tioner held up the lifeless head for all the people to look upon." 

Thaddeus of Warsaw. 1803. Jane Porter 

There were three partitions of Poland. This story has to do 
with the third one, in 1794, in the closing period of Catherine's 
reign. Thaddeus Kosciusko was chosen as the leader of the pa- 
triots. He had rendered valuable service in the War of the Amer- 
ican Revolution, and returned to Poland with his soul aflame with 
the dream of the political freedom of his own land. He defeated 
the Russians at Raclawice. In the battle of Maciejowice he was 
defeated by General Suvaroff. When he fell covered with wounds, 
Poland fell with him. It lay at the feet of the conqueror and 
Suvaroff marched upon Warsaw, captured the city and sacked it 
with all the horrors of war. Kosciusko was held a prisoner for 
two years. He was liberated by Paul I, and went to England and 
finally to France, where he spent the remainder of his life. 

The Polish noble of this story has fought heroically for his 
country in this last great conflict in his attempt to free it from the 
oppression of Catherine. But he was forced to succumb to the 
stronger force. He takes refuge in England, where, while sup- 
porting himself as a teacher, he comes to love a woman. He re- 
frains from pressing his suit, however, when he finds that he is the 
son, as he believes, of an English noble of low despicable character. 
In this he discovers his mistake upon finding his father, a man 
of the very opposite type of character. 

Reign of Paul I 

Upon the sudden death of his mother, Catherine, Paul I suc- 
ceeded to the throne at the age of forty-two. He had been 
neglected by his mother, if not indeed the object of her dislike, 
while he had always considered that the throne rightfully belonged 
to him following the death of his father, Peter III. The remains 
of the latter he had exhumed and placed beside those of his mother 



680 HISTORICAL FICTION 

lying in state "to share all the honors of her obsequies and to be 
entombed with her." He compelled Alexis Orlov, who was then 
generally supposed to have been the murderer of Peter III, to 
march beside the coffin bearing his crown. 

The Story 
By Neva's Waters. 1908. John R. Carling 

Paul was a despot. He had vast plans regarding the East 
which failed to materialize, because forestalled by Napoleon. He 
joined with the latter in a scheme against England to invade India. 
While this was being planned, on the night of March 23, 1801, 
Paul was strangled in the palace. He had, by his measures and 
foreign policy which were a menace to the country, rendered 
himself odious to his nobles. It seems from the facts that all 
they sought was his abdication, and that in the struggle that fol- 
lowed he was strangled to death. 

These facts constitute the historical setting of this story in 
which the plot is formulated which ends with the death of Paul. 
The marriage of Alexander, who succeeded Paul, with Elizabeth 
of Baden, was an unhappy one. She is a leading personage in this 
story. 

The Napoleonic Era 

The stories that belong to this period are treated in connection 
with that era in that section of the history of France. The states 
of Europe were so intermingled in the great conflict with Napo- 
leon that it was a more desirable method to bring together the 
fiction bearing upon that time relative to each country, thus secur- 
ing a more unitary treatment. 

Reign of Nicholas I 

During his reign Nicholas figured in six things of importance 
involving Russia and other states of Europe. These consisted 
of his war with Persia ; the treaty that secured the independence 
of Greece; participation in the destruction of the Turkish fleet at 
Navarino; suppression of the Polish invasion; association with 
Austria in crushing the Hungarian rising ; the Crimean War in the 
midst of which contest Nicholas died. 



THE MODERN ERA 681 

The Story 

True Unto Death. 1895. Eliza F. Pollard 

This story deals with the conditions in Russia in the last years 
of the reign of Nicholas, and the manner in which Europe was 
affected by the Eastern Question. This was definitely involved 
in the Crimean War and what would have accrued to Russia had 
she been victorious in disturbing the peace of Europe by giving 
her the balance of power. The reader is referred to our study of 
the Crimean War under the Victorian Age in English history. 

Reign of Alexander II 

One of the greatest achievements of this reign was the eman- 
cipation of the serfs in 1861, by which over 22,000,000 people 
gained their rightful freedom. Other constructive measures, edu- 
cational and judicial, were executed during this period. But 
instead of reform continuing along these lines, despotism as usual 
came to the ascendency. 

The Stories 
A Knight of Poland. 1910. M. E. Carr 

When, in 1863, a number of persons in Warsaw were seized 
and forced to enter the Russian army, an insurrection broke out 
and was conducted by secret proceedings. The Polish force con- 
sisted of undisciplined men and in the main their weapons con- 
sisted of pikes and clubs. It was largely guerrilla fighting in 
which the forests offered a great advantage. Many persons 
obnoxious to the Polish leaders were assassinated. Fighting 
against great odds, the insurrection could not last and was entirely 
crushed in 1864. 

This insurrection is the one point of historical interest in this 
story as bearing upon this period. 

The White Terror and the Red. 1905. Abraham Cahan 

When despotism began to take the place of the liberal measures 
of Alexander II, nihilist risings became frequent. The nobility 
cheated the people out of their freedom and their land. Nihilism 
and anarchy grew and the people demanded that reforms displace 



682 HISTORICAL FICTION 

legislative tyranny. That the Czar, by withholding these just 
rights, had no right to ruin the happiness and well-being of mil- 
lions of people, was the attitude taken. Everywhere secret organ- 
izations were plotting, and "Russian society was honeycombed 
with conspiracy extending even to the household of the Czar." 

This Russian- American author (i860-) of Hebrew descent 
was born at Podberezye, Russia. He studied at the Teachers' Insti- 
tute of Vilna and afterwards devoted some time to teaching. In 
1882 he fell under suspicion of the government by taking part in 
the revolutionary movement. Coming to the United States he be- 
came actively interested in the labor movement and became the 
leader of one of the Socialist parties, the party represented by the 
Jewish daily called the Vorwarts. In 1901 he became the editor 
of this organ. His literary activity began in 1884 in the form of 
articles appearing in American newspapers. These sketches of 
Jewish life at once attracted attention. 

These conditions in Russia are described by this story. Wher- 
ever Alexander went the shadow of death pursued him, hovering 
about him like a vulture. Accounting for nihilism by any existing 
state of things does not justify it. In March, 1881, as many 
readers will remember, the Czar was in his carriage, which was 
wrecked by a bomb. Extricating himself from the wreck, he 
approached the assassin, when another bomb was hurled at him. 
He was horribly mutilated and died within a few hours. 

This scene is strikingly set forth by this story. It also appears 
in The Vultures, by H. S. Merriman, which describes the work- 
ings of secret organizations and secret agents of other countries. 



JAPAN— CHINA 

The great progress made by these countries in late years, and 
especially that of Japan, has attracted the attention of the world. 
The adoption of the principles and methods of Western civiliza- 
tion has placed Japan among the powers of the world, while 
China, resting for decades so comfortably upon the pillow of her 
traditionalism, has awakened to the need of advancement and 
catching up with the nations so far ahead of her. And this awak- 
ening is the most essential condition to the bringing of China from 
a chaotic to a more stable condition. 

What is of first importance as contributing to the best inter- 
ests of the far East is the Anglo- Japanese Treaty of 1905. "Dur- 
ing its existence the two powers, England and Japan, are pledged 
to use all endeavors for maintaining not only peace in the East, 
but also the independence and integrity of China. The signifi- 
cance of such a pledge is appreciated when we recall the dimen- 
sions of the British navy supplemented by the Japanese, and when 
we further recall that Japan, with her base of operations within 
easy reach of the Asiatic continent, can place half a million of 
men in the field at any moment. " 

I. The Commercial Treaty with Japan 
One of the most important happenings in the development of 
Japan was the day in 1853 when Commodore Perry sailed into 
the Japanese harbor with a squadron of United States war vessels, 
and in 1854 extorted from the shogun a treaty of commerce. With 
this precedent established, sixteen other nations obtained the same 
privileges. At the time it gave rise to considerable trouble in 
Japan inasmuch as the treaty was concluded in spite of two fail- 
ures to secure the consent of the throne. Mr. Townsend Harris, 
the American consul-general in Japan, warned "the Japanese that 
the British and the French fleets might be expected any moment 
to enter Yedo Bay, and that the best way to avert irksome de- 
mands at the hands of the British was to establish a compara- 
tively modern precedent by yielding to the American proposals " 

683 



684 HISTORICAL FICTION 

An edict was issued by the throne reprimanding the shogun 
for concluding a treaty without consulting the feudatories. In the 
end about twenty men went to Yedo for the purpose of killing Li 
Kamon no Kami, upon whom they laid the responsibility for all 
the trouble. As he was on his way to the shogun's castle he was 
assassinated. 

The Story 
The Shogun's Daughter. 1910. Robert A. Bennet 

This story is built about the event of the American squadron 
under Perry demanding the treaty. The Japan of that time is 
portrayed, and the influence exerted upon that country by the 
Western World is set forth. The events bearing upon the treaty, 
the killing of the shogun, etc., are well presented. 

II. The Boxer Rebellion 

Following the war between China and Japan in 1894 there were 
some indications that China would come into closer relationship 
with the nations of the world. Practically all power was com- 
mitted to the Empress Dowager, and under her influence anti- 
foreign outbreaks were encouraged and occurred in many parts 
of the country. China simply did not want the foreigner or for- 
eign interference or foreign appropriation of anything that be- 
longed to China. 

Then arose in 1900 the Boxer Rebellion. The origin of this 
movement is not clear. "Its name is derived from a translation 
of the Chinese name, 'The fist of righteous harmony/ and it ap- 
pears to have been originally a secret association of men chiefly 
from the lower classes." On the banners carried about by the 
Boxers was inscribed "Exterminate the foreigners and save the 
dynasty." 

The Stories 
With the Allies to Pekin. 1903. George A. Henty 

By the month of May, 1900, the situation was becoming ex- 
treme. Christian villages were destroyed and native converts 
massacred. The Japanese chancellor and the German ambassa- 
dor, Baron von Ketteler, were murdered. The foreign represen- 



THE MODERN ERA 685 

tatives with their households and guards gathered in the British 
legation, which they fortified as strongly as possible, and were 
besieged by the Chinese. Japan could render the quickest assist- 
ance, but believing that rapid action on her part would be mis- 
judged and distrusted by the powers, she waited for Europe and 
America to call upon her for help. When this appeal was re- 
ceived she at once dispatched 20,000 men. Fighting under the 
eyes of military critics, the Japanese won for themselves great 
respect. 

This story takes up this rebellion practically at its inception, 
the destroying of villages and killing of missionaries and native 
Christians. The besieged garrison contained less than 500 officers 
and men, and many women and children. Under Admiral Sey- 
mour an international force was sent to relieve the garrison. They 
were driven back and occupied Tientsin. The legation held out 
for eight weeks against attacks in which Chinese Imperial troops 
took part. When matters had reached the point of exhaustion 
in the legation the allied force consisting of troops of Japan, Eng- 
land, America, France and Russia reached Pekin and defeated 
and scattered the Chinese. 

These actions at Tientsin and Pekin under Admiral Seymour, 
and the results, are well portrayed by this story, the hero figuring 
in all of these operations. 

Other stories : 

On to Pekin (1900), by Edward Stratemeyer, which portrays 
the part of American soldiers in the relief of Pekin, and the gen- 
eral action of the international forces. 

The Lost Column (1908), by Captain Charles Gilson. 

III. The Russo-Japanese War 

At the close of the war between Japan and China in 1895, 
Russia secured the Chinese peninsula of Liao-tung, on which Port 
Arthur is situated. This port was of vast service to Russia. By 
the close of the Boxer Rebellion, Russia held Manchuria and half 
of Mongolia. Against these movements Japan made the most 
emphatic protests and in this was supported by European powers. 
Japan was the natural protector of Korea, and she saw that Rus- 
sian aggressions would compel her to cross swords with that 



686 HISTORICAL FICTION 

power. Early in 1904 hostilities were begun and continued until 
about the middle of 1905. 

Japan well knew that in the point of numbers she could not 
compete with Russia, but she saw to it that nothing was left 
undone that would contribute to the highest efficiency of her 
army and navy. Russia, on the other hand, placing full confidence 
in her numerical strength, paid little attention to the rotten tim- 
bers in her military structure. 

The Stories 

At the Fall of Port Arthur. 1905. Edward Stratemeyer 

This is the story of an American in the Japanese naval service 
who participates in the naval attack on Port Arthur under Admiral 
Togo. The capture of Port Arthur was the great objective of 
Japan. The Japanese fleet so battered the Russian vessels that 
they withdrew to the forts. The Russian general, Kuropatkin, 
was then driven from his position on the Yalu River and was 
forced to retreat to Mukden. Taking another position he was 
again routed, and finally in a five days' battle was compelled to 
retreat to Mukden. During this time Port Arthur was under the 
blockade of the Japanese fleet. Then came the storming of Port 
Arthur, which lasted for seven days and cost Japan 25,000 men. 
Then by a series of zigzag trenches, with batteries hidden, the 
defences of the city were brought down and at the opening of 
1905 Stoessel surrendered. 

The siege and storming of Port Arthur, together with the inter- 
esting details dealing with the Japanese navy, are well set forth 
by this story, as seen by an American. 

Brown of Moukden. 1905. Herbert Strang 

The great field operations which closed with the battle of 
Liaoyang continued for nine days. Against a Russian force of 
220,000 men the Japs could muster not more than 200,000. Not 
succeeding in making much of an impression on the Russian lines 
the Japs determined upon a flanking movement. This, no doubt, 
would have been fully met by the Russians but for the incompe- 
tency of General Orloff, who had command of thirteen battalions. 



THE MODERN ERA 687 

He allowed himself to be drawn into an ambuscade and was badly 
defeated. Taking immediate advantage of Orloff's blunder, the 
Japanese forced the Russians to retreat from Liaoyang. 

The military interest in this story lies especially in these actions 
at Liaoyang and Mukden. Its delineations of the contending 
forces are excellently drawn. This same great battle as ending 
the operations to that point is also well described by Edward 
Stratemeyer in Under the Mikado's Flag, in which the experi- 
ences of two Americans are detailed. 



Under Togo for Japan. 1906. Edward Stratemeyer 

The great naval battle of the Sea of Japan was fought on 
May 2.J. The Japanese in this historic battle had the advantage 
in the full number of vessels, having a large number of torpedo 
boats, but in the point of first-class fighting material there was 
not so great a difference. This battle resulted in the annihilation 
of the Russian fleet. They had thirty-eight ships; twenty were 
sunk, six were captured, two destroyed while escaping, six fled to 
neutral ports and were interned, and out of the whole number but 
two made good their escape. The Japanese lost three torpedo 
boats. 

This notable victory under the command of Admiral Togo is 
portrayed in this story. By this war was fully demonstrated 
Japan's military superiority, and the Treaty of Portsmouth recog- 
nized Japan's "paramount political, military and economic inter- 
ests" in Korea. 



AFRICA 

I. The Portuguese Enterprise 

The Cape of Good Hope was doubled by Vasco da Gama in 
1497, and seven years later Pedro de Anhaya took Sofala and 
made the kingdom tributary to Portugal. By the year 1520 the 
east coast was in possession of the Portuguese. At this time on 
the south of the Zambezi was a chief whose official title was 
Monomotapa, who had brought under subjection some smaller 
chiefs. This kingdom of Monomotapa and the gold mines of 
Manika attracted the attention of the Portuguese. 

In connection with the story below, our interest centers in the 
expedition of Francisco Barreto in 1566, one of the earliest and 
most celebrated of those of the Portuguese. It is said that he was 
accompanied by a force of 1,000 armed men and a large number 
of cavaliers. They ascended the Zambezi to Mengos. The chief 
of this settlement had revolted against Monomotapa. It seems 
that Barreto tried to strike a bargain with the latter to the effect 
that he would whip the insurgent chief into line if the Monomo- 
tapa would allow him to pass through his country to the mines of 
Manika. It was shortly after this, however, that Barreto died, 
and it was a few years later that Homem succeeded in reaching 
the mines, but nothing came of this expedition. 

The Story 
John Temple. 1911. John Durand 

This is a painstaking story by the author, who became thor- 
oughly familiar with this section of Africa. The interest relates 
to the expedition of Barreto, whose ambition was to found a 
Portuguese kingdom in South Africa. 

II. The Kaffir Wars 

During the time that the Dutch Boers held the Cape of Good 
Hope there were frequent conflicts between them and the Kaffirs, 

682 



THE MODERN ERA 689 

and after the English came into possession of the colony such dis- 
turbances arose from time to time. The Kaffirs were a branch 
of the great Bantu family, and were the principal race of south- 
eastern Africa. They were completely defeated by Colonel 
Graham in 181 1. 

In 1835 10,000 Kaffirs laid waste the eastern province, for 
which action they were severely punished by the British troops 
under Sir Harry Smith and Sir Benjamin Durban. The British 
had violated their treaty and in 1846 a war broke out. Kaffirland 
was entered by British troops and a severe struggle resulted in 
much bloodshed on both sides. 

The bad treatment the Kaffirs received at the hands of the 
Dutch Boers caused the former to look with hatred upon all white 
men, and owing to such treatment another serious conflict oc- 
curred in 185 1 -1852. This was followed by making Kaffraria a 
crown colony, which, in 1865, was incorporated with Cape Colony. 

The Story 
Sword and Assegai. 1899. Anna Howarth 

The scene is laid in Kaffirland, and the period and events noted 
especially are those of the Kaffir Wars when England's failure to 
maintain the treaty precipitated the uprising in 1846; and the war 
of 1851, the result of the treatment of the Boers. 

III. The Ashanti War 

The country of Ashantee lies in western Africa to the north 
of the river Prah. In the early part of the nineteenth century the 
British had trouble with these people of this region, but peace 
was maintained until 1863, when trouble again arose over the 
refusal of Governor Pine to give up some slaves who had escaped. 

The vital question had been who should have the rulership of 
the territory between the river Prah and the coast, England or 
Ashantee. In 1871 the Dutch ceded to the English all claims on 
the Gold Coast, the Dutch gaining the right to annex lands in 
Sumatra. The transfer of the town of Elmina brought forth a 
vigorous protest from King Coffee Calcali on the ground that he 
had always received from this town an annual tribute. Again, 
he had seized some missionaries, whom he refused to surrender. 



690 HISTORICAL FICTION 

War broke out and Sir Garnet Wolseley was commissioned to 
take over the control of the Gold Coast. 

He invaded Ashantee, defeated its forces and passed on to 
Coomassie. King Calcali then sent envoys to Wolseley and a 
treaty was made by which the king paid over 50,000 ounces of 
gold, he agreed to renounce all rights regarding the tribes that had 
previously been under the Dutch, to allow free trade, to keep open 
the territory between the Prah and Coomassie and to stop all 
human sacrifices. Under another king these agreements were 
broken. 

The Story 

With Wolseley to Kumasi. 1908. Fredericks. 
Brereton 

This story deals with this war and the operations of Wolseley 
in the taking of Coomassie (Kumasi), the March on Elmina, etc. 
The same incidents are detailed by Henty's story, By Sheer Pluck 
(1883). 

IV. TheZulaWar 

Zululand is a region of southeastern Africa having an area of 
10,500 square miles and a population of about 150,000, consisting 
largely of natives. The Zulus, an intelligent branch of the Bantu 
family, while they engage in bloody warfare among themselves, 
are noted for their morality. Their chiefs are elected by the peo- 
ple. Cetawayo was made their king in 1874. 

The subjects of Cetawayo made raids on Natal, for which the 
British demanded reparation. This, Cetawayo refused to grant, 
and war broke out in 1879. Lord Chelmsford crossed the frontier 
with a British force, but was surprised at Isandhlwana and was 
defeated with the slaughter of several hundred of his troops. At 
Gingolova he defeated the Zulus. Sir Garnet Wolseley was then 
appointed to conduct the war. Chelmsford completely defeated 
the Zulus at Ulandi and captured Cstawayo, who was sent to 
Capetown. 

Zululand was then divided into several small provinces over 
which native chiefs were placed. On the borders of Natal a 
"Reserve" territory was established in charge of a British Resi- 
dent to watch over the country. In 1883 Cetawayo was permitted 



THE MODERN ERA 691 

to visit England, and was given the rulership of a part of his 
former domain. In the same year in a conflict with one of his 
rivals he was defeated and driven from his throne. 

The Stories 

With Shield and Assegai. 1900. Frederick S. 
Brereton 

The leading events of this war are dealt with in this story. It 
describes the surprising of the British under Chelmsford at Isand- 
hlwana and the slaughter of the troops, the battle of Ulandi and 
other actions. Chelmsford figures largely. 

Other stories: 

The Young Colonists (1884), by G. A. Henty, in which Ma- 
juba Hill, Ulandi and other battles are given. 

The Strange Story of Falconer Thring (1907), by Constantine 
S. Ralli, in which the disaster to the British at Isandhlwana is 
made prominent. 

The Yellow Shield (1904), by William Johnston, who treats 
the conflict from the native standpoint 

V. The South African War 

In 1885 the discovery of gold brought large numbers of for- 
eigners to the Transvaal, who, in 1889, greatly outnumbered the 
original settlers, the majority of the foreigners being British sub- 
jects. The President of the Dutch was Paul Kruger. In order 
to prevent these newcomers from securing a hold upon the gov- 
ernment restrictions were placed upon naturalization laws so 
that by 1887 foreigners were required to be residents of the coun- 
try for fifteen years before they could be naturalized or have any 
part in the government. 

To these measures the foreigners, or Uitlanders, as they were 
called, raised a strong protest, declaring that such provisions were 
wholly unjust. Jameson's Raid in 1896 was an expression of this 
protest, and while Jameson was punished by Great Britain, the 
Boers committed the error of using this raid as a reason for still 
greater restrictions. British, Americans and other foreigners then 
made an appeal to the British government against these extreme 
and unjust demands. The High Commissioner of England asked 



692 HISTORICAL FICTION 

for a five years' franchise law. Kruger insisted on a seven years' 
law. The High Commissioner then recommended that the Gov- 
ernment insist on a minimum of reforms and a five years' fran- 
chise. 

This brought things to a deadlock. The Boer Government 
then handed an ultimatum to the British representative at Pretoria 
demanding an answer within forty-eight hours. This ultimatum 
required "that all British reinforcements which had reached Natal 
since July should withdraw, and that the troops on the high seas 
should not land in South Africa." These terms could not, in the 
nature of the case, be granted, and a state of war existed, the 
Boers firing the first shot on the following day. 

The Stories 
With Buller in Natal. 1901. George A. Henty 

At the opening of the war (1899- 1902) the British had about 
12,000 men in Natal and small forces elsewhere. The plan of the 
Boers was to attack the leading British towns near Boer territory, 
and the British forces were shut up in Ladysmith, Mafeking and 
Kimberley. Sir Redvers Buller was at once sent with reinforce- 
ments, and arriving he marched at once to the relief of Ladysmith. 
At Elandslaagte, General French attacked the Boers, broke up 
their position, captured their equipment and took prisoners. 

At the close of 1899 the British met with three or four heavy 
reverses, all in one week, the. result of which was the appointment 
of Lord Roberts as Commander-in-Chief and Lord Kitchener as 
Chief of the Staff. At Spion Kop, General Buller met with a 
disastrous defeat and was forced to retreat. After Kimberley 
had been besieged for 123 days it was relieved by General French, 
who pursued the besieging army and defeated it. It surrendered 
with 4,000 men. Ladysmith, Mafeking and Kimberley were re- 
lieved. Upon the approach of the British, Kruger fled from Pre- 
toria. Roberts and Buller then attacked and captured Koomati 
Poort. The annexation of the Transvaal was then proclaimed and 
Lord Roberts left for England. 

This story gives a good description of the war to the taking of 
Koomati Poort, during which time Ladysmith was besieged and 



THE MODERN ERA 693 

relieved, the British reverse at Spion Kop, etc., all of which are 
portrayed. 

With Roberts to Pretoria. 1902. George A. Henty 

The disastrous week in December of 1900 has already been 
noted. At that time Lord Methuen was defeated at Magersfon- 
tein, the Highland Brigade being badly cut up, and the British 
losing nearly 1,000 men. This battle is described by this story, 
which carries the operations forward to the battle of Paardeberg, 
to which point French pursued the besieging force of Kimberley 
under Cronje, defeated them and received their surrender, the 
relief of Kimberley and t^at of Mafeking by General Mahon, and 
the taking of Pretoria. The latter was entered by the British with 
scarcely any opposition. These movements are well described by 
the story. 

Other stories: 

Scouting for Buller (1901), by Herbert Hayens. 

Taken by Assault (1901), by Morley Roberts, in which the 
getting into Pretoria to secure the escape of a prisoner is the con- 
dition to winning the hand of the heroine. There were 3,000 
British prisoners in the city when it was taken. 

In May, 1902, the Boers were compelled to surrender. They 
w.ere granted immunity on laying down their arms and taking the 
oath of allegiance to King Edward. At the request of parents the 
Dutch language was allowed to be taught in schools. For damage 
done to farms $15,000,000 should be distributed to the farmers. 
All told the Imperial Parliament voted the sum of $40,000,000 
to be devoted to various needs created by the war. At the close 
of the war the British were holding 40,000 Boer prisoners. 

Conclusion 

In the preparation of this treatise the author has endeavored 
to keep in view several things of importance. The aim has been 
to compile a readable book, that is, a book that treats the subject 
matter with sufficient fulness so as to be read with interest, and 
not simply a skeleton of outlines and abbreviated references. Care 



694 HISTORICAL FICTION 

has also been taken to maintain in a manner consistent with the 
basic purpose and limited space of this work, unity and consecu- 
tiveness in treating the historical matter. 

The fundamental object has been to give the particulars of the 
history in which each story has its setting so as to render the 
stories historically intelligible. The writer believes that this pro- 
cedure will enable parents to f make an intelligent selection of fic- 
tional reading for their children, and with the added suggestion, 
that much of the world's history may be studied chronologically 
by the reading of one or more of the stories pertaining to each 
section. This would obviate very much of the disconnected and 
desultory reading indulged in by the majority of people. 

As a reference work, by the means of the Index, any of the 
950 stories we have historically and chronologically related can 
be located within a moment's time. We thus complete our under- 
taking, indulging the hope that, in some measure, we have facili- 
tated the reader's use of this great body of literature. 



INDEX 



Titles of books are in heavier, bold-face type. When given under 
the names of their authors they are in ordinary type and alphabetically 
arranged. 

Authors' names are in capitals and bold-face type. 

Titles of other books, plays, articles, etc., are in italics. 

There is practically no indexing under the various countries as the 
"Contents" at the front of the book is so very complete and detailed. 



Abbess of Vlaye, The, 384. 
ABBOTT, EDWIN A., 86. 

Silanus the Christian, 86. 
Abbot, The, 271. 

Abensburg, Battle of (1809), 444. 
Abercrombie, Defeated by Mont- 
calm (1758), 495, 589. 
Abizzi Family (Italy). 194. 
Abraham, The Patriarch, 10. 
Absolutism in France, 391, 395, 

399,411. 
Acadia, Expulsion of French from 

(1755), 588. 
Achaean League, 51. 
ACKWORTH, JOHN, 324. 

The Coming *of the Preachers, 

324. 
Acre, Captured by the Crusaders 

(1104), 163, 164. 
Across the Delaware, 510. 
Across the Salt Seas, 311. 
Acte (Mistress of Nero), 75, 76. 
Actium, Battle of (B. C. 31), 60, 

61, 70. 
Adams, President John, 530, 531. 
Adams, Samuel, 505. 
Addison, Joseph, 313, 319. 
Adela, Mother of Stephen, king of 

England, 137. 
Adopted, The, 421. 
Adria, 636. 
Adventures of an Aide-de-Camp, 

439. 
Adventures of Gerard, 447. 
Adventures of Timothy, The, 284. 
Aegospotami, Battle of (B. C. 405), 

41, 42. 
Aemilius, 89. 
Aeropagus, The Council on Mars 

Hill, 75. 



Aghrim, Battle of (1691), 308. 

Agincourt, 184. 

Agincourt, Battle of (1415), 184, 

185. 
Agnes of Sorrento, 621. 
Agricola, Roman general, 71. 
Agrippa, Lake of, 75. 
Agrippina, Mother of Nero, 65, 69, 

71, 72, 75. 
AGUILAR, GRACE, 641. 
The Vale of Cedars, 641. 
Aguinaldo, Leader of the insurrec- 
tion in the Philippines. 577. 
Ahasuerus, King of Persia, 30, 31. 
Ahaz, King of Judah, 25. 
Ahenobarbus, Cneius Domitius, 

father of Nero, 72. 
Ahenobarbus, Lucius Domitius, 66. 
Aidan, A missionary of Iona, 108, 

109. 
Aimee, 401. 

AINSWORTH, WILLIAM H., 
265. 
Boscobel; or the Royal Oak, 291. 
Constable de Bourbon, The, 626. 
Guy Fawkes, 280. 
Old St. Paul's, 298. 
Star Chamber, The, 282. 
Tower of London The, 265. 
Aix-la-Chapelle, Peace of, 299, 405, 

612. 
Alabama and Kearsarge, Naval 

battle between, 563, 564. 
Alabama Claims, The, 570. 
Alamo, Battle of (1836), 547, 548. 
Alaric Leader of the Visigoths, 18, 

95, 96. 
Albania, 211. 

Alberoni, Giulio, 320, 405, 406. 
Albigenses, The, 119, 121, 150. 
Albigenses, The, 120. 
Albret, Jeanne d' 372, 373. 



695 



696 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



Alcibiades, Nephew of Pericles, 38- 

42. 
ALCOCK, DEBORAH, 206. 

Crushed Yet Conquering, 206. 

Done and Dared in Old France, 
402. 

Dr. Adrian, 659. 

No Cross, No Crown, 262. 

Under the Southern Cross 481. 
Alexander the Great, 12, 13, 43-45. 
Alexander I, Czar of Russia, 437, 

681, 682. 
Alexander VI, Pope, 247, 622, 625. 
Alexandria, Egypt, 13-15 18 19. 
Alexis, Czar of Russia, 669. 
Alexis, Son of Peter the Great, 

672, 673. 
Alexius Comnenus, 161, 162, 209. 
Alfonso XI, King of Spain, 650. 
Alfonso of Ferrara, 625 628. 
Alfonso the Noble, 244. 
Alfonso the Valiant, 244. 
Alfred the Great, Conflict with the 

Danes, 124, 126. 
Alhambra, The, 248, 249. 
Alhambra, The, 248. 
ALLARDYCE, ALEXANDER, 
317. 

Balmoral 317. 
Allen, Ethan, Captured Fort Ti- 

conderoga, 503. 
Alma, Battle of (1854), 360, 361. 
Alps, The Cottian, 118. 
Alsace, 398. 

Alton Locke, Tailor and Poet, 358. 
ALTSHELER, JOSEPH A., 511. 

Before the Dawn 562. 

Herald of the West, A, 541. 

In Circling Camps, 561. 

In Hostile Red, 513. 

Last of the Chiefs, The, 571. 

Quest of the Four, The, 551. 

Rock of Chickamauga, The, 562. 

Soldier of Manhattan, A, 589. 

Sun of Saratoga, The, 511. 

Wilderness Road, The, 529. 
Alva, Fernando, Governor of the 

Netherlands, 656-659. 
Amarna Letters, The, 10. 
Amasis, King of Egypt, 8, 29, 30. 
Amiens, Peace of (1802) 346. 
Amor Victor, 82. 
Amurath II, Sultan, 209, 211. 
Amyas Egerton, Cavalier, 286. 
Amyntas, 70. 

An Egyptian Princess, 29. 
An Enemy to the King, 380. 
An Imperial Lover, 672. 



Anaxagoras, Greek philosopher, 

39, 40. 
ANDERSON, A. J., 238. 

Romance of Fra Lippo Lippi, 

The, 238. 
Andre, Major John, 522, 523. 
Andreas Hofer, 444. 
Andree de Taverney, 422. 
Andrew Goodfellow, 347. 
Andrew, Husband of Joanna, 

Queen of Naples, 195 196. 
Andros, Sir Edmund, viceroy of 

James II, 488, 489. 
Aneroestes the Gaul, 50, 
Angevin Kings (Plantagenet), 139. 
Angles, The, 96, 106, 108. 
Anglesey, Isle of (Mona), 72, 135. 
Anglo-Japanese Treaty (1905), 683. 
Anhaya, Pedro de, 688. 
Animal Worship, Egypt, 8. 
Anna, Ivanovna, Empress of Rus- 
sia, 674. 
Anna, Santa, Mexican leader, 547, 

551. 
Anne of Austria, Wife of Louis 

XIII, 387. 
Anne of Brittany, Wife of Charles 

VIII, 624. 
Anne of Cleves, Wife of Henry 

VIII, 258. 
Anne of Geierstein, 233. 
Anne, Queen of England, 310-314. 
Anne Scarlet, 487. 
Anselm Archbishop, 134, 136. 
Anthony Wilding, 304. 
Anti-Federalists (America), 528. 
Antinomian Doctrine, 486. 
Antinous, 85. 

Antinous, Page of Hadrian, 85. 
Antioch in Pisidia, 70. 
Antioch, Syria, 70. 
Antiochus III, King of Syria, 50. 
Antipas, Herod, 67. 
Antipater Son of Herod the Great, 

63. 
Antoine, King of Navarre, 373, 376. 
Antonina, 95. 

Antonines, Period of the, 14. 
Antony, Mark, 60, 61. 
Antwerp, 

Sack of, 660. Siege of, 661, 

662. 
Apepi (Apophis) Hyksos King, 7. 
Apepi II, Hyksos King, 8. 
Apis, Sacred Bull of Egypt, 8. 
Apollonius, A heathen Christ, 81, 

82. 
Appomattox, Surrender of Lee at 

(1865), 566. 



INDEX 



697 



Aquila, Friend of St. Paul, 70. 
Aquitaine, 117, 233. 
Arabella Stuart, 279. 
Arachne, 13. 

Aragon, House of, Spain, 640. 
Arbela, Battle of (B. C. 331), 12, 

44, 45. 
Arcadius, Emperor of Byzantium, 

18, 95, 209. 
ARDAGH, W. M., 245. 
Knightly Years, The, 245. 
Magada, The, 246. 
Arden Massiter, 639. 
Arginusae, Battle of (B. C. 406), 

41, 42. 
Argyle, John, Duke of, 322, 323. 
Arianism 94. 
Aristophanes, 38-40. 
Aristotle, 43, 44. 
Arius, 94. 
Armada, The Spanish (1588), 274, 

275, 281, 282, 643, 662. 
Armadin, 138. 
Armour, Jean Wife of Robert 

Burns, 338. 
Armstrong, Sir John, 260. 
Arnold, Benedict, 503, 506, 511, 

522-524. 
Arques, Battle of (1589), 383. 
Arras, Bishop of, 397. 
Arrow of the North, The, 259. 
Arsinoe, Wife of Ptolemy II, 13. 
Artaxerxes II, King of Persia, 42. 
Artevelde, Jacob van, 201. 
Artevelde, Philip van, 201, 202. 
ARTHUR, FREDERICK, 424. 
Mysterious Monsieur Dupont, 

The, 424. 
Arthur King, 103-105. 
Arthur, Nephew of King John, 120, 

146-148. 
As Tt Happened, 335. 
Ascanio, 373. 
Ascham, Roger, Instructor of 

Queen Elizabeth, 266, 268. 
Ashantee, Africa, 689, 690. 
Ashdown, Battle of, 126. 
Ashes of Empire, 472. 
Aspasia, 40. 

Aspasia, Friend of Pericles, 40. 
Aspern, Battle of (1809), 444. 
Aspicius, 66. 
Assassins, The, 164. 
Asshur, Assyrian god, 22. 
Assize, The Bloody (1685) 303, 

304. 
Assye, Battle of (1803), 343. 
Assyrian Bride, The, 25. 
Astarte, 22. 



Assylum Christi, 401. 

At Odds, 445. 

At Odds With the Regent, 406. 

At Sea Under Drake, 270. 

At the Fall of Montreal, 589. 

At the Fall of Port Arthur, 686. 

At the King's Right Hand, 125. 

At the Point of the Bayonet, 343. 

At the Siege of Quebec, 506. 

At the Sign of the Golden Fleece, 

255. 
Atahualpa, Inca of Peru, 480, 481. 
Athanasianism, 94. 
Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, 

94. 
Athelney, Isle of, 126. 
Athelstan, King of England, 127. 
Athena, 37. 
Athens 

During the Persian Wars, 37. 
During the Peloponnesian War, 

40. 
Athos (see Sillegue.) 
Atlanta, Ga., Taken by Sherman 

(1864), 564. 
Atterbury, Francis, Bishop, 321. 
Atticus, Herodes, Instructor of 

Marcus Aurelius, 86. 
Attila, 97. 

Attila and His Conquerors, 97. 
Attila Leader of the Huns, 97. 
Auckland, Lord George Eden, 364. 
AUERBACH, BERTHOLD, 663. 

Spinoza, 663. 
Auerstadt, Battle of (1806), 437. 
Augsburg, The Diet of 605; Peace 

of, 605. 
Augustina, Heroine of Saragossa, 

441. 
Augustine, Aurelius, 93, 94. 
Augustine, The Missionary, 106- 

108. 
Augustus, Emperor, 14, 63-65. 
Auray, Battle of (1364), 236. 
Aurelius, Marcus, Emperor 86. 
Aussig, Battle of (1426), 207, 208. 
Austerlitz, Battle of (1805), 436- 

438. 
Austrian Succession, War of (see 

Succession Wars). 
AVERY, HAROLD, 452. 

With Wellington to Waterloo, 

452. 
Aylesbury, 107. 
AZEGLIO, MASSIMO TAPA- 

RELLI D', 625. 
Ettore Fieramosca, 625. 
Azov Battle of (1696), 672. 
Aztecs, The, Mexico, 479 s 



698 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



B 



BABCOCK, W. H., 104. 

Cian of the Chariots, 104. 
Babington, Anthony, 273. 
Babington Conspiracy, The, 273. 
Babylon, Fall of (B. C. 538), 27, 28. 
BACHELLER, IRVING A., 63. 

Vergilius, 63. 
Bacon, Francis, 268, 276. 
Bacon, Nathaniel, Rebellion of in 

Virginia, 483. 
Bacon, Roger, 151. 
Bactra, Siege of, 23. 
Bad Times, The, 362. 
Badajos, Battle of (1812), 442, 443. 
Baglioni, Family of Perugia, 197. 
Baglioni, Ludovico, 197. 
BAILEY, HENRY C, 269. 

God of Clay, The, 427. 

Lonely Queen, The 269. 

Raoul, Gentleman of Fortune, 
662. 

Storm and Treasure, 421. 
Bainbridge, Commodore, 537. 
BAKER, JAMES, 207. 

Cardinal's Page, The, 208. 

Gleaming Dawn, The, 207. 
Balaclava, Battle of (1854), 360, 

361. 
Baldwin, of Flanders, 160, 209, 211. 
BALFOUR, ANDREW, 319. 

To Arms! 319. 

Vengeance is Mine, 451. 
Ealiol, John, King of Scotland, 153. 
Ball John, 180, 181. 
BALLANTYNE, ROBERT M., 
591. 

Ungava, 591. 
Balmaceda, President of Chili, 572, 

573. 
Balmoral, 317. 

Balmoral, Scotland, 317, 318. 
Balsamo, Guiseppe, 409, 411. 
Baltimore, Attack on (1812). 540. 
Balue, Jean de la, 233. 
BALZAC, HONORE DE, 433. 

The Chouans, 433. 
BANIM, JOHN, 307. 

Boyne Water, 307. 
BANKS, MRS. G. L, 339. 

God's Providence House, 339. 
Banner of St. George, The, 180. 
Bannockburn, Battle of (1314) 

155, 157. 
Barabbas, 68. 
Barabbas, 68. 

Barbarossa, Frederick, 166. 
Barcelona, Blockade of (1706), 645. 



Bardiza (see Smerdis). 
Barlasch of the Guard, 448. 
Barnabas, Companion of St. Paul, 

70. 
Barnaby Rudge, 336. 
BARNES, JAMES, 517. 

Commodore Bainbridge, 537. 

Midshipman Farragut, 540. 

With the Flag in the Channel, 
517. 
Barnet, Battle of (1471), 218-220. 
BARNET, J., 328. 

The Prince's Valet, 328. 
Baronet in Corduroy, The, 313. 
Baron's Heir, The, 256. 
BARR, AMELIA E., 292. 

Black Shilling The, 488. 

Friend Olivia, 292. 

Maid of Maiden Lane, The, 529. 

Maid of Old New York, The, 
490. 

Remember the Alamo, 547. 

She Loved a Sailor, 546. 

Strawberry Handkerchief, The, 
501. 
BARR, ROBERT, 385. 

Cardillac, 385. 

In the Midst of Alarms, 594. 
Barrack Emperors, The, 15. 
Barreto, Francisco, 688. 
BARRETT, FRANK, 298. 

A Set of Rogues, 298. 
BARRINGTON, MICHAEL, 118. 

The Lady of Tripoli, 118. 
Barry, Gerald de, 140. 
Barry, Marie Jeanne du, 405, 408, 

423 
BARRY, WILLIAM, 639. 

Arden Massiter, 639. 
Basil I, 209. 
Basil the Jester, 269. 
Bastile, Fall of the (1789), 416, 423. 
Bath, England, 317. 
Battle Abbey, 130. 
Battle, England, 130. 
Bautzen, Battle of (1813), 448. 
Baville, M. de, 403. 
BAXTER, J. DOWLING, 93. 

The Meeting of the Ways, 93. 
Bayard, Chevalier, 371, 372. 
Baylen, Battle of (1808), 440. 
Bazaine, Marshal 468. 
BEALE, ANNE, 355. 

Rose Mervyn. 355. 
BEARNE, MRS. CATHERINE 
MARY, 177. 

The Cross of Pearls, 177. 
Beaton, Cardinal David, 262. 
Beatrice Cenci, 630. 



INDEX 



699 



Beatrix of Clare, 223. 

Beauclerc, Charles, son of Charles 

II, 295. 
Beaufort Cardinal, 208. 
Beautiful Rebel, A, 537. 
Becket, Thomas, 140-142. 
Bede, First English historian, 107. 
Beerbohm, Max, 60. 
Before the Dawn, 562. 
Beggars, The (Holland), 655 656, 

659. 
Begum's Daughter, The, 490. 
Bejart, Armande, wife of Moliere, 

396. 
Bel, 22. 
Belgae, The, defeated by Caesar, 

58. 
Belisarius, General of Justinian, 

100-102. 
Bell-Isle, Louis Charles, 406, 407. 
BELLOC, HILLAIRE, 418. 

The Girondin, 418. 
Belshazzar, 28. 
Belshazzar, Feast of, 27. 
Benbow, Admiral John, 309. 
Benevento, Battle of (1266), 170. 
Ben Hur, 64. 
BENNET, ROBERT AMES, 114. 

For the White Christ, 114. 

Shogun's Daughter, The, 684. 

Volunteer With Pike, A, 533. 
Bennington, Battle of (1777), 510. 
BENSON, ROBERT H., 266. 

Come Rack! Come Rope! 274. 

Queen's Tragedy, The, 266. 
Beresteczko, Battle of (1651), 670. 
Berkeley, Governor of Virginia, 

483. 
Berkhampstead Castle, 146. 
Berlin, Captured by Napoleon 437. 
Bernadotte, Jean Baptiste, 448. 
Berry, Duchess of, 457, 458. 
Berry, Duke of, assassinated, 456. 
Bertha, Wife of Ethelbert, king of 

England, 107. 
Bertrand of Brittany, 175. 
BESANT, WALTER, 240, 319. 

Dorothy Forster, 319. 
Bethencourt, Jean de, 246. 
Bethlehem, of Judea, 14, 63. 
Betrothed, The, 631. (Manzoni.) 
Betrothed, The, 142. (Scott.) 
Between Two Thieves, 463. 
BEVAN, TOM, 125. 

Held by Rebels, 188. 

Lion of Wessex, A, 125. 
Bey Brugsch, 12. 
Beza, Theodore de, 376. 
Bhurtpore, Battle of (1805), 343. 



Bible and Sword, 302. 

Bible, Translations of the, 179, 255, 

256, 603, 652. 
Bid for Loyalty, A, 468. 
Bill of Rights, England (1689), 306. 
BIRMINGHAM, G. A., 362. 

The Bad Times, 362. 
Biron, Gustav, 674. 
Bismarck, Otto Eduard von, 465, 

616, 619, 620. 
Black Arrow, The, 216. 
Black Cuirassier, The, 609. 
Black Death, The (1348-51), 177. 
Black Disc, The, 246. 
Black Douglas, The, 191. 
Black Friday (1873), 570. 
Black Friday, 570. 
Black Hawk War (1832), 546._. 
Black Hole of Calcutta (1756), 329, 

330. 
BLACK, LADBROKE and ROB- 
ERT LYND, 459. 

The Mantle of the Emperor, 459. 
Black Prince, The, 175-178. 
Black Shilling, The, 488. 
Black Tulip, The, 664. 
BLACKMORE, RICHARD D., 
346. 

Springhaven, 346. 
Blaine, James G., 573. 
Blair of Balaclava, 361. 
BLAKE, M. M., 133. 

The Siege of Norwich Castle, 
133. 
Blake, Robert, 292. 
Blanco-Eucalada, Sinking of the, 

573. 
Bland-Allison Act, 572. 
Blenheim, Battle of (1704), 312. 
Blennerhassett, 533. 
Blennerhassett, Harman, 533. 
BLISSET, NELLIE K., 121. 

The Most Famous Loba, 121. 
Blithedale Romance, The, 548. 
Blockade of Phalsbourg, The, 449. 
Blockade of the South (Civil War), 

559. 
Blood, Thomas, 300. 
Blucher, Gebhard von 437, 448, 

449, 451. 
Blue and Green, 101. 
Blue Grotto of Capri, 65. 
BLYTHE, JAMES, 297. 

Bid for Loyalty, A, 468. 

King's Guerdon, The, 297. 
Boabdil, King of Granada, 246,247. 
Boadicea, Queen of Britain, 76, 90. 
Bob Hampton of Placer, 571. 
Boccaccio, Giovanni, 196. 



700 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



BODKIN, MATTHIAS M., 346. 

True Man and Traitor, 346. 
Bogdan, Cossack leader, 669, 670. 
Boers, The Dutch, 688. 
Boisot, Admiral, 658, 659. 
Boleyn, Anne, wife of Henry VIII, 

256, 257, 260. 
Bolingbroke, Henry St. John, 316, 

319, 320. 
Bolivar, Simon, Liberator of Co- 
lumbia, 544, 545. 
Bomb, The, 572. 
Bonaparte, Jerome, 438. 
Bonaparte, Joseph. 437, 440-442. 
Bonaparte, Louis, 437, 448. 
Bonaparte, Napoleon, 426-452. 
Birth and Training, 427. 
Defends the Convention, 427. 
Defeats the Austrians, 427. 
Syrian Campaign, 427, 428. 
End of the Directory, 428. 
Characterization of, 430. 
The Consulate, 431. 
Emperor, Napoleon I, 431. 
The Empire, 434-452. 

Historical Outline, 434, 435. 
Abdication, 449. 
Extent of the Empire, 449. 
The Hundred Days, 451. 
Waterloo and St. Helena, 451, 
452. 
Boniface VIII, Pope, 121. 
Boniface of Montferrat, 210. 
Bonnie Prince Charlie, 327. 
Book of Common Prayer, The, 296. 
Bordeaux, Duke of (see Chambord, 

Count of). 
Borgia Family, The, 
Caesar, 624-627. 
Lucrezia, 624-626. 
Rodrigo (see Alexander I, 
Pope). 
Boris the Bear Hunter, 671. 
Borodino, Battle of (1812), 446. 
Borromeo, Federigo, Archbishop 

of Milan, 631. 
Boscobel: or the Royal Oak, 291. 
Boscobel, Refuge of Prince 

Charles, 291. 
Bossuet, Jacques, 402. 
Boston Massacre, The (1770), 502. 

Siege of (1775-6), 508. 
Bosworth, Battle of (1485), 224, 

225. 
Both Sides of the Border, 182. 
Bothwell, 270. 

Bothwell Bridge, Battle of (1679), 
301. 



Bothwell, James, Earl of, 270, 271. 
Botticelli, Sandro, 242. 
Boudicca, 76. 
Bouillon, Duke of 389. 
Bourbon, Blanche de, 178. 
Bourbon, Charles, Duke of, 372, 

627. 
Bourbon, House of, 372, 383. 
Bouvines, Battle of (1214), 119 120. 
BOWEN, MARJORIE, 195. 

Glen O' Weeping, The, 309. 

Knight of Spain, A, 642. 

Quest of Glory, The, 406. 

Sword Decides, The, 195. 
BOWKER, ALFRED, 138. 

Armadin, 138. 
Boxer Rebellion, The (1900), 684, 

685. 
Boy and the Baron, The, 206. 
Boyar of the Terrible, A, 667. 
Boyars, The, 667, 668. 
Boyne, Battle of the (1690), 307, 

308, 402. 
Boyne Water, 307. 
Boys of the Light Brigade, 441. 
Brackenbury, Sir Robert, 221. 
Braddock, General Edward, 331, 

332, 494, 495. 
ERADDON, MARY E., 323. 

Infidel, The, 323. 

Ishmael, 463. 
BRADLEY, S. C, 64. 

Jesus of Nazareth, 64. 
BRADY, CYRUS T., 495. 

On the Old Kearsarge, 563. 

Patriots, The, 566. 

Quiberon Touch, The, 495. 
Bragg, General Braxton, 562. 
BRAMSTON, MISS MARY, 180. 

Banner of St. George, The, 180. 

Failure of a Hero, The, 276. 

For Faith and Fatherland, 660. 

Story of a Cat and a Cake, The, 
609. 
Brandon, Charles, Duke of Suffolk, 

254, 255. 
Brandywine, Battle of (1777), 510. 
Bravest Gentleman in France, The, 

388. 
Bravest of the Brave, The, 645. 
BRAY, ANNA ELIZA, 201. 

Adopted, The, 421. 

Protestant, The, 267. 

White Hoods, The, 201. 
BRAY, CLAUDE, 304. 

Cuirassier of Arran's, A, 304. 
Brazenhead the Great, 198. 
Brazil, Independence of, 545. (See 
South America.) 



INDEX 



701 



Bread Riots, 

In England (1816), 350. 

In Milan (1900), 639. 
Breaute, Falkes de, 149. 
BREBNER, PERCY J., 303. 

Brown Mask, The, 303. 

White Gauntlet, The, 312. 
Breda, Capture of (1590), 662. 
Brederode, Hendrik van, 654, 655. 
Breitenfeld Battle of (1631), 608. 
BRERETON, FREDERICK S., 
343. 

Gallant Grenadier, A, 361. 

Hero of Lucknow, A, 367. 

Hero of Sedan, A, 470. 

Jones of the 64th, 343. 

Knight of St. John, A, 628. 

With Shield and Assegai, 691. 

With Wolseley to Kumasi, 690. 
Bretigny, Peace of (1360), 174, 236. 
BRETON, FREDERICK, 603. 

True Heart, 603. 
Brian Fitz Count, 139. 
Bricks Without Straw, 570. 
Bristol, England, Riots in (1831), 

352. 
British Legion in Spain (Carlist 

Wars), 648. 
British Legion, The, 648. 
Brittany, 227, 236 237, 420. 
Brixen, Council of, 168. 
Brock, General Isaac, 536, 537. 
Brook Farm, 549. 
BROOKS, ELBRIDGE S., 66. 

Master of the Strong Hearts, 
571. 

Son of Issachar, A, 66. 

Son of the Revolution, A 533. 
Brothers Five, 659. 
Brothers in Arms, 164. 
Brown, Jessie (in Lucknow, 1857), 

366. 
Brown, John Raid of (1859), 555, 

556. 
BROWN, KATHARINE H, 555. 

Diane, 555. 
Brown Mask, The, 303. 
Brown of Moukden, 686. 
BROWNE, GEORGE W., 497. 

With Rogers' Rangers, 497. 
Bruce, David, King of Scotland, 

153. 
Bruce, Robert, King of Scotland, 

153-157. 
Brughes, Flanders 200, 201. 
Brutus, 59, 60. 
Bryant, William Cullen, 

Our Country's Call, 567. 
Bryce, Dr. George, 597. 



Buccleuch, A Glen in Scotland, 193. 
BUCHAN, JOHN, 37. 

The Lemnian, 37. 
Buchanan, President James, 554 

556. 
BUCHANAN, ROBERT, 452. 

The Shadow of the Sword, 452. 
Buena Vista, Battle of (1847), 551, 

552. 
Builders of the Waste, 107. 
Bull Run, Battles of, First, (1861), 

558. Second (1862), 559. 
Buller, Sir Redvers, 692. 
Bunker Hill, Battle of (1775), 504. 
Burgoyne, John, English General 

in America, 504, 511, 512. 
BULWER-LYTTON, 37. 

Devereux, 319. 

Harold, 131. 

Last Days of Pompeii, The, 80. 

Last of the Barons, The, 219. 

Leila 248. 

Pausanias the Spartan, 37. 

Rienzi, the Last of the Tribunes, 
195. 

Zanoni, 423. 
Bunyan, John, 296. 

The Pilgrim's Progress, 296. 
BURCHELL, S. H., 287. 

The Prisoner of Carisbrooke, 
287. 
Burgh, Hubert de, 148, 149. 
Burgomaster's Wife, The, 658. 
Burgundy, John of, 179, 185. 
Burgundy, Province of France, 231. 
Burnes, Sir Alexander, 364. 
Burning of Rome, The, 76. 
Burns, Robert, 337, 338. 

Scots Wha Hae, 154. 
Burr, Aaron 506, 533, 534. 
BURTON, JOHN E. BLOUN- 
DELLE-, 275. 

Across the Salt Seas, 311. 

Clash of Arms, The, 397. 

Fortune's My Foe, 328. 

In the Days of Adversity, 402. 

King's Mignon, The, 381. 

Knighthood's Flower, 388. 

Last of Her Race, The, 644. 

Scourge of God, the, 403. 

Sea Devils, The, 275. 

Servants of Sin, 406. 

Sword of Gideon, The, 311. 

Year One, The, 417. 
Busaco, Battle of (1810), 442, 443. 
Business in Great Waters, A, 340. 
Buti, Lucrezia, 239. 
Butler, Lady Eleanor, 221. 
Butler, Colonel John, 514. 



702 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



Butt, Isaac, 362, 363. 
By Conduct and Courage, 344. 
By Dulvercombe Waters, 304. 
By England's Aid, 662. 
By Neva's Waters, 680. 
By Right of Conquest, 479. 
By Sheer Pluck, 690. 
Rye Plot, The, (1603), 280. 
BYNNER, EDWIN L., 490. 

Begum's Daughter, The, 490. 

Zachary Phips, 533. 
Byron, Lord 441. 

The Battle of Waterloo, 454. 
Byzantium, 92. 



CABLE, GEORGE W., 541, 570. 

John March, Southerner, 570. 
Cabot, John, English Explorer, 581. 
Cabul, Capture of (1839), 364. 
Cade, Jack Insurrection of, 188. 
Cadiz, Capture of (1596), 662. 
Cadoudal, Georges Conspiracy of 

(1804), 422, 432, 433, 439. 
Caedmon of Whitby, 107. 
Caedwalla, 109. 
Caesar, Caius Julius, 

First Triumvirate, 58. 

Campaigns in Gaul 58, 59. 

Defeat of Pompey, 58. 

Dictator, 58. 

Death of 59. 
Caged Lion, The, 189. 
Cagliostro (see Balsamo Guiseppe). 
CAHAN, ABRAHAM, 681. 

The White Terror and the Red, 
681. 
CAINE, O. V., 290. 

Coming of Navarre, The, 382. 

Face to Face With Napoleon, 
449. 

In the Year of Waterloo, 451. 

Sons of Victory, 431. 

Wanderer and King. 290. 
Calais, 174-177, 374, 375, 655. 
Calcali, King Coffee (Ashantee), 

689, 690. 
Calendar, The, Reformed by Julius 

Caesar, (B. C. 46), 4. 
Calhoun, John C, 553. 
Calixtines, The (Hussite Party). 

208. 
Callista, 53. 
Calvin, John, 377, 378. 
Calvinists, The, 652, 655. 
CALLWELL, J. M., 184. 

A champion of the Faith, 184. 
Cambrensis, Giraldus (see Barry. 
Gerald de). 



Cambyses II, King of Persia, 12 

28-30. 
Camden, Battle of (1780), 520. 
Camden, Lord, 501. 
Cameron of Lochiel, 328. 
Cameron, Richard, 301. 
Cameronians, The, 301. 
Camisards, Insurrection of the 

(1702-4), 403. 
Camorra, The, of Naples, 631, 639. 
Camp of Refuge, The, 133. 
Camp on the Severn, The, 90. 
Campaign in the Jungle, The, 577. 
CAMPBELL, A. G., 436. 

Fleur-de-Camp, 436. 
Campbell, Sir Colin 

The Crimean War, 360. 

The Indian Mutiny, 366. 
Campbell Mary (Highland Mary), 

338. 
Campbell, Robert Macgregor (Rob 

Roy), 318-320. 
CAMPBELL, WILFRID, 537. 

A Beautiful Rebel, 537. 
Camperdown, Battle of (1797), 344. 
Campo Formio, Peace of (1797), 

427, 634. 
Canary Islands, 245, 246. 
Cannae, Battle of (B. C. 216), 49 

50. 
Canterbury Tales, The, 181. 
Canute, Danish King, 128, 129. 
Capello, Bianca, 629. 
CAPES, BERNARD, 198. 

Jay of Italy, A.. 240. 

Love of St. Bel, The, 198. 
Capet, Hugh, 116. 
Capitol, United States, Destruction 

of (1814), 541. 
Capri, Island of, 65, 66. 
Captain Courtesy, 550. 
Captain of the Guard, The, 192. 
Captain of Irregulars, A, 544. 
Captain of the Janizaries, The, 211. 
Captain of the Wight, The, 227. 
Captain, The, 559. 
Captain's Daughter, The, 678. 
Captive of the Corsairs, A, 628. 
Capua, Gladiatorial School at, 57. 
Carabobo, Battle of (1821), 545. 
Caractacus, Chief of the Druids, 72. 
Carbonari, The, Secret Organiza- 
tion of Italy, 455, 456, 459. 
Carchemish, Capital of the Hittites. 

10. 
Cardillac, 385. 
Cardinal and His Conscience, A, 

377. 
Cardinal's Page, The, 208. 



INDEX 



703 



Cardinal's Pawn, The, 629. 
CAREY, WYMOND, 320. 
For the White Rose, 320. 
Carisbrooke Castle (Isle of Wight), 

227, 286, 287. 
CARLING, JOHN R., 680. 

By Neva's Waters, 680. 
Carlist Wars, The, 648. 
Carlos, Don, Spanish Pretender, 

647, 648. 
Carlovingian Dynasty, 113. 
Carlyles, The, 566. 
Caroline, Queen, Wife of George 

II 322. 
CARPENTER, EDWARD C, 

532. 
Captain Courtesy, 550. 
Code of Victor Jallot, 532. 
CARPENTER, WILLIAM 

BOYD, 14. 
Narcissus, 14. 
Carpet-Baggers, The, 569, 570. 
CARR, M. E., 438. 

Knight of Poland, A, 681. 
Love and Honor, 438. 
CARREL, FREDERIC, 87. 
Marcus and Faustina, 87. 
Carrier, Jean Baptiste, 421. 
Carthage, 

Rise and Progress of, 46. 
Fall of, 51. 
Rebuilt, 51. 
Carthagena, Battle of, 329. 
Cartier Jacques, French Explorer, 

581, 582. 
Carver, John, Governor of Ply- 
mouth Colony, 485. 
Cassini, 404. 
Cassius, 61. 
Cassius, Avidius, Governor of 

Syria, 87, 88. < 
Cassivelannus, British Chief, 69. 
Castel Del Monte, 170. 
Castelnaudary, Battle of (1632) 

389. 
Castle Daly, 356. 
Castle Dangerous, 155. 
Castle Omeragh, 289. 
Castlemore, Charles de Batz, 387. 
Castriota, George (see Scander- 

beg). 
Cat of Bubastes, The, 9. 
Cateau Cambresis, Treaty of 

(1559), 655. 
Catesby, Robert (Gunpowder 

Plot), 281. 
Catesby, William, 224. 
Catharine, Wife of Henry VIII, 

253, 254, 257. 



Catharine, Saint (of Siena), 198. 
Cathelineau, Vendean Leader, 420. 
Catherine Douglas, 190. 
Catherine I, Empress of Russia, 

672-674. 
Catherine II, Empress of Russia, 

676-679. 
CATHERWOOD, MRS. MARY 
H, 186. 
Days of Jeanne d'Arc, The 186. 
Lady of Fort St. John, The, 582. 
Lazarre 426. 

Romance of Dollard, The, 583. 
Story of Tonty, The, 586. 
Catholic Emancipation Act (1829), 

346, 348. 
Catholic League, The (1576-1596), 

380, 383. 
Catiline. Conspiracy of, 58. 
Cato Street Conspiracy (1820), 

350, 351. 
Cavalier, Jean, 403. 
Cavalier and Covenant, 290. 
Cavaliers, The, 287. 
Cavour, Camillo, 636 637. 
Cellini, Benvenuto, 373. 
Cenci Family, The 

Beatrice, 630, 631; Lucrezia, 630, 
631; Francesco, 630. 631; Bern- 
ardo, 630, 631; Giacomo, 630, 
631. 
Cerignola, Battle of (1503), 626. 
Cerro Gordo, Battle of (1847), 

552. 
Cervera, Admiral (Spanish-Ameri- 
can War), 577, 578. 
Cetawayo, Zulu King, 690, 691. 
Cevennes, Insurrection in the, 401. 

403. 
Chacabuco, Battle of (1817), 544. 
CHALMERS, STEPHEN, 349. 
The Vanishing Smuggler, 349. 
Chalons, Battle of (451), 97. 
CHAMBERS, ROBERT W., 467. 
Ashes of Empire, 472. 
Maids of Paradise, The, 467. 
Chambord, Count of, 457, 458. 
Champion of the Faith, A, 184. 
Champlain, Samuel, 581. 
Chancellorsville, Battle of (1863), 

560, 561. 
Chapultepec, Battle of (1847), 

552. 
Charge of the Light Brigade 

(Tennyson), 360. 
Chariots of the Lord, 306. 
Charlemagne, 98, 113, 114, 166. 
Charles Albert, King of Sardinia, 
631-636. 



704 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



CHARLES, ELIZABETH R., 52. 

Attila and His Conquerors, 97. 
Chronicles of the Schonberg- 

Cotta Family, 600. 
Diary of Mrs. Kitty Trevelyn, 

325. 
Lapsed, Not Lost, 52. 
Charles of Anjou, 170, 171. 
Charles the Bald, 116, 200, 202, 

231-234. 
Charles the Bold, 200, 202, 231- 

234. 
Charles, Cardinal of Lorraine, 

612. 
Charles V, King of France, 175, 

176. 
Charles VI, King of France, 179, 

181, 184, 201. 
Charles VII, King of France, 185- 

188. 
Charles VIII, King of France, 

236, 237, 622, 624. 
Charles IX, King of France, 376- 

379. 
Charles X, King of France, 456. 
Charles I, King of England, 282- 

287. 
Petition of Rights, 283. 
Dissolved Parliament, 283. 
The Long Parliament, 283. 
Conflict With Parliament, 283- 

286. 
Executed (1649), 287, 393. 
Charles II, King of England, 295- 

302, 396. 
Charles, Prince (son of Charles 

I), 289-291. 
Charles IV, Emperor of Ger- 
many, 204. 
Charles V, Emperor of Germany, 

369, 372, 373, 600, 601, 604, 

605, 627, 654. 
Charles of Durazzo, 196. 
Charles XII, King of Sweden, 

320, 671, 672. 
Charles O'Malley, 443. 
Charlotte, Princess of Brunswick, 

673. 
Charlotte, Princess, wife of 

George III, 345. 
Charlotte, Princess, wife of Wil- 
liam of Orange, 652-654. 
Charming Sally, The, 501. 
Chartist Agitation (England, 

1839-48), 358. 
Chartreuse of Parma, The, 452. 
Chatrian, Alexander. (See Erck- 

mann, Emile.) 



Chattanooga, Tenn., 562. 
Chaucer, Geoffrey, 181. 

The Canterbury Tales, 181. 
Chelmsford, Lord (Zulu War), 

690, 691. 
Cherry Valley (American Revo- 
lution), 514. 
Chesapeake and the Shannon, 

Naval Battle (1813), 539. 
CHESNEY, GEORGE T., 367. 

The Dilemma, 367. 
Chevalier d'Harmental, The, 405. 
Chevalier de Maison-Rouge, The, 

421. 
Chevalier of the Splendid Crest, 

The, 157. 
Chevreuse, Marie de (see Rohan, 

Marie de). 
Chicago, 111., 536, 572, 573. 
Chickamauga, Battle of (1863), 

562. 
Chili, Independence of (1818), 

544. 
Chilian Revolution (1891), 572, 

573. 
Chippenham, Defeat of King Al- 
fred at (878), 125, 126. 
Chippinge, 351. 
Chlorus, Constantius, 90. 
Choiseul, Duke of, 408, 409. 
Chouans, The, 340, 341. 
Chouans, The, 433. 
Christ, Jesus, 
Birth, 14, 63. 
"Years of Silence," 65. 
Ministry, 51, 64, 66, 86. 
Betrayal, 66, 68. 
Crucifixion, 65-68, 79. 
Christian, William, 299. 
Christianity 

Conflict With Paganism, 14-16, 

18, 19, 74, 85. 
Spread of, 51, 83, 86, 90. 
Roman Persecutions, 52, 71-73, 

76, 79, 81, 82, 84, 88-90. 
Triumph of, 91, 92, 99. 
Abolished in the French Revo- 
lution, 425. 
Christians, Persecution of (see 

Christianity). 
Christina, Queen Regent of Spain, 

648, 649. 
Chronicles of the Schonberg- 

Cotta Family, 600. 
CHURCH, ALFRED JOHN, 36. 
Burning of Rome, The, 76. 
Count of the Saxon Shore, The, 

96. 
Crown of Pine, The, 69. 



INDEX 



705 



Crusaders, The, 160. 
Fall of Athens, The, 42. 
Lords of the World, 51. 
Three Greek Children, 36. 
Two Thousand Years Ago, 57. 
Young Macedonian in the 
Army of Alexander, A, 45. 
CHURCH, SAMUEL H., 293. 
Penruddock of the White 
Lambs, 293. 
Churchill, John, 297, 305, 311-313, 

398. 
CHURCHILL, WINSTON, 515. 

Richard Carvel, 515. 
Cian of the Chariots, 104. 
Cicely, 564. 
Cicero, 58. 
Cinq-Mars, 389. 

Cinq-Mars, Henri Coiffier, Mar- 
quis, 389, 390. 
Cintra, Convention of (1808), 441. 
Civil War, The American, 
Causes of, 557, 558. 
The Conflict, 558-567. 

Atlanta, Union Victory 

(1864), 564. 
Appomattox, Union (1865), 

566. 
Bull Run, Confederate (1861), 

558, 559. 
Chickamauga, Confederate 

(1863), 562. 
Chancellorsville, Confederate 

(1863), 560, 561. 
Donelson, Fort, Union 

(1862), 559. 
Fisher's Hill, Union (1864), 

564, 565. 
Gettysburg, Union (1863), 

561. 
Lookout Mountain, Union 

(1863), 562. 
Missionary Ridge, Union 

(1863), 562. 
Monitor and Merrimac, In- 
decisive (1862), 559. 
Nashville, Union (1864), 565. 
Petersburg, Union (1865), 

566. 
Richmond, Union (1865), 

566. 
Shiloh, Union (1862), 559, 

561. 
Spottsylvania, Union (1864), 

563. 
Sumter, Fort, Confederate 

(1861), 558. 
Vicksburg, Union (1863), 
560, 561. 



Wilderness, Indecisive 
(1864), 562, 563. 

Winchester, Union (1864), 
564. 
Clansman, The, 570. 
Clare Avery, 275. 
Clarence, Duke of, 217, 230. 
Clarendon, Council of (1164), 

140-142. 
CLARK, FELICIA B., 605. 

The Cripple of Nuremberg, 

605. 
Clarkson, Thomas, 340. 
Clash of Arms, The, 397. 
Claude, Wife of Francis I, 371. 
Claudia, 76. 

Claudius, Emperor, 69-72. 
Clay, Henry, 552. 
CLELAND, ROBERT, 357. 

Inchbracken, 357. 
Clemens, Samuel, 109. 
Clement VI, Pope, 195. 
Clement VII, Pope, 241. 
Clement, Jacques, assassin of 

Henry III (1589), 382. 
Clementina, 320. 
Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, 13. 
Supported by Caesar, 58, 59. 
Relations with Antony, 60, 61. 
Defeated by Octavius, 60. 
Death of, 60. 
Clerkenwell Prison (London), 

336. 
Cleveland, President Grover, 
First Administration, 571, 572. 
Second Administration, 573, 

574. 
Clevely, Sahib, 364. 
Clifford, Rosamond, 142. 
Clinton, Sir Henry, English gen- 
eral in America, 504, 512, 519, 

523. 
Clisthenes, 38. Proposed the 

Athenian democratic consti- 
tution, B. C. 509. 
dive, Robert, 322, 330. 
Cloister and the Hearth, The, 

239. 
Cloister to Court, 652. 
Clutch of Circumstance, The, 105. 
Coast of Freedom, The, 488. 
COBB, JAMES F., 470. 
In Time of War, 470. 
Cobbler of Nimes, The, 403. 
Cobham, Lord (see Oldcastle, 

John). 
Cochrane, Thomas, 545. 
Code of Victor Jallot, The, 532. 



706 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



COFFIN, CHARLES C, 502. 
Daughters of the Revolution 

and Their Times, 502. 
Coffin, Levy, 555. 
Coil of Carne, The, 359. 
Coinage Act, The (1873), 570. 
Colbert, Jean Baptiste, 396, 398, 

399. 
Colepeper, Sir John, 158. 
COLERIDGE, MARION and 

GILBERT, 655. 
Jan Van Elselo, 655. 
COLERIDGE, MARY E., 457. 

The Fiery Dawn, 457. 
Coligny, Gaspard de, leader of 

the Huguenots, 378, 379. 
COLLINGWOOD, HARRY, 575. 
The Cruise of the Thetis, 575. 
COLLINS, WILLIAM WIL- 

KIE, 95. 
Antonina, 95. 
Colonel Kate, i^.6. 
Colonials, The, 504. 
Colonna, Family of (Italy), 195. 
Columba, Irish missionary, 108. 
Columbia, Republic of, 544, 545. 
Columbus, Christopher, 478, 621. 
Come Rack! Come Rope! 274. 
Coming of the King, The, 295. 
Coming of Navarre, The, 382. 
Coming of the Preachers, The, 

324. 
Commentaries of Ser Pantaleone, 

The, 628. 
Commodore Bainbridge, 537. 
Commodus, Emperor, 15. 
Commune, The (French Revolu- 
tion), 417, 418, 425. 
Franco-German War, 471, 472. 
Compactata of Prague (1433), 

208. 
Companions of Jehu, The, 433. 
Company of Death, The, 632. 
Compton, Dr. Henry, Instructor 

of Queen Anne, 310. 
COMSTOCK, HARRIET T., 

276. 
The Queen's Hostage, 276. 
Concini, Concino de, 385. 
Concord, Battle of (1775), 502. 
Conde, Leader of the Huguenots, 

378. 
Conde, Louis (the Great Conde), 

393-395, 397, 610. 
Condottieri, The, 198, 238. 
Conflans, Admiral de, 329, 495. 
Congress, The Colonial, 505. 
Conjurer's House, 590. 
Connecticut, Charter of, 489. 



Conrad III, Emperor of Ger- 
many, 118, 162. 
Conrad IV, Emperor of Germany, 

170. 
Conradin, Emperor of Germany, 

170, 171. 
CONSCIENCE, HENDRIK, 200. 

The Lion of Flanders, 200. 
Conscript, The, 450. 
Constable de Bourbon, The, 626. 
Constable's Tower, The, 148. 
Constance, Council of (1414-18), 

207. 
Constantine the Great, 91-93. 
Constantinople, 92, 100, 102, 162. 
Sack of (1202), 211. 
Latin Empire established (1204- 

61), 209. 
Fall of (H53), 209, 211. 
Constellation and LaVengeance, 

Naval Battle, 531. > 
Constitution of the United States, 

526, 530, 555, 568. 
Constitution, The, U. S. warship, 

537. 
Continental System, Created by 

Napoleon, 440. 
CONVERSE, FLORENCE, 181. 

Long Will, 181. 
COOKE, JOHN E., 482. 

My Lady Pokahontas, 482. 
COOLEY, WILLIAM FORBES, 
66. 
Emmanuel: the Story of the 
Messiah, 66. 
Coomassie, Africa, Taking of 

(1874), 690. 
COOPER, JAMES FENIMORE, 
244. 
Lionel Lincoln, 504. 
Mercedes of Castile, 244. 
Pilot, The, 517. 
Coote, Sir Eyre, 335, 336. 
CORBETT, JULIAN, 340. 

A Business in Great Waters, 
340. 
Corcyra, City of, 40. 
Corday, Charlotte, assassin of 

Marat, 420. 
CORELLI, MARIE, 68. 

Barabbas, 68. 
Corinth, City of, 40, 51, 69, 70. 
Cormac, King of Leinster, 105. 
Cornaro, Caterino, 242, 243. 
Corneille, Pierre, 404. 
Cornwallis, Charles, 509, 512, 520, 

521, 524, 525. 
Coronea, Battle of (B. C. 447), 38. 



INDEX 



707 



Corpus Juris Civilis, The (Jus- 
tinian), 101. 
Cortez, Adventures of in Mexico, 

479. 
Corunna, Battle of (1809), 348, 

441. 
Cossacks, The, 668, 669, 671. 
COTTON, ALBERT L., 632. 

The Company of Death, 632. 
Cotton Famine, The (England), 

361, 362, 559. 
Council of Blood, The (1567), 

660. 
Count Robert of Paris, 161. 
Count of the Saxon Shore, The, 

96. 
Countess de Charny, The, 419. 
Court of Lucifer, The, 625. 
Court of Pilate, The, 67. 
Courtrai, Battle of (1302), 121, 

122. 
Courtrai, Flanders, 200, 201. 
Coutras, Battle of (1587), 381. 
Covenant, The, 285, 289, 301. 
Covenanters, The, 285, 301, 302, 

317. 
Coverdale, Miles, 256. 
Cowpens, Battle of (1781), 520. 
COWPER, EDITH E., 648. 

Viva Christina, 648. 
COWPER, FRANK, 78. 
Caedwalla, 109. 

Captain of the Wight, The, 227. 
Forgotten Door, The, 78. 
CRAKE, AUGUSTUS D, 89. 
Aemilius, 89. 
Brian Fitz Count, 139. 
Camp on the Severn, The, 90. 
Doomed City, The, 107.' 
Edwy the Fair, 127. 
CRAKE, E. E., 255. 

In the Days of Queen Mary, 

266. 
Tragedy of the Dacres, The, 
255. 
CRAMP, WALTER S„ 65. 

Psyche, 65. 
Cranmer, Thomas, 257, 263, 267. 
Crassus, 57. 

Craunston, Jane Anne, 319. 
Craven, Governor of Carolina, 

491, 492. 
CRAWFORD, FRANCIS 
MARION, 28. 
In the Palace of the King, 643. 
Zoroaster, 28. 
Crazy Horse, Sioux chief, 571. 



Creasy, Sir Edward, 

Fifteen Decisive Battles of the 
World, 454. 
Crecy, Battle of (1346), 174-176. 
Cremona, Attack of (1702), 633. 
Cressy and Poictiers, 175. 
Crichton, William, 191. 
Crimea, 359. 
Crimean War, The (1854-56), 359- 

361, 462, 481. 
Crimson Conquest, The, 481. 
Cripple of Nuremberg, The, 605. 
Crockett, David, 547, 548. 
CROCKETT, SAMUEL R., 191. 

Black Douglas, The, 191. 

Flower O' the Corn, 403. 

Maid Margaret of Galloway, 
192. 

Men of the Moss Hags, The, 
302. 

Strong Mac, 349. 
Croesus, King of Lydia, 30. 
CROLY, GEORGE, 78. 

Tarry Thou Till I come, 78. 
Cromwell, Oliver, 284-294. 

Commander of Parliamentary 
forces, 284-287, 393. 

The Commonwealth, Lord Pro- 
tector, 288-294. 
His government, 288. 
Rebellion in Ireland, 289. 
Defeat of irince Charles in 

Scotland, 290. 
Conflict with the Dutch, 292. 
Cromwell, Richard, 295. 
Cromwell, Thomas, 258. 
Cronje, Boer general, 693. 
Cross of Honor, The, 439. 
Cross of Pearls, The, 177. 
Crowley, Mary C, 497. 

Daughter of New France, A, 587. 

Heroine of the Strait, The, 497. 

In Treaty with Honor, 593. 

Love Thrives in War, 536. 
Crown of Pine, The, 69. 
Cruise of the Thetis, The, 575. 
Crusaders, The, 160. 
Crusades, The, 116. 

Historical Sketch, 159. 

Causes of, 159. 

The various Crusades, 160. 

First, 161, 162. 

Second, 118. 

Third, 119, 143, 144, 162-164. 

Fourth, 210, 211. 

Sixth and Seventh, 160. 

Children's, 164, 165. 

Results of, 165. 
Crushed Yet Conquering, 206. 



708 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



Cuba, Insurrection of, 
Spanish tyranny, 575. 
Spanish-American War, 575- 

579. 
Cuirassier of Arran's, A, 304. 
Culloden Moor, Battle of (1746), 

325-328. 
Cumberland, Duke of (son of 

George II), 325. 
Cunedda, Tribune, of the Picts, 

96. 
CUNNINGHAM, ALICE, 140. 
Love Story of Giraldus, The, 

140. 
Curran, John, 346. 
Curran, Sarah, 346. 
Custer, General George, 571. 
CURTIES, HENRY, 371. 

Renee, 371. 
Curtis, George W., 549. 
Custozza, Battle of (1848), 635. 
Cutwulf, Saxon leader, 107. 
Cyprian, Bishop of» Carthage, 52, 

53, 89. 
Cyprus, Island of, 242. 
Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria, 19. 
Cyrus, King of Persia, 27, 28, 77. 



Dacres, Lord, 255. 

DAHLINGER, C. W., 561. 
Where the Red Volleys Poured, 
561. 

DAHN, FELIX, 102. 

A Struggle for Rome, 102. 

Damaris, St. Paul's convert, 74. 

Damietta, Captured by Louis IX, 
160, 161. 

Dan Monroe, 505. 

Dandolo, Eurico (Doge of Ven- 
ice), 211. 

Danelaw, 125, 126. 

Danes, The, 125=128. 

Danger, Captain (W h i t e b o y 
Movement), 333. 

Daniel, Hebrew Prophet, 27, 28. 

Daniel, Prophecy of, 26-28, 33. 

Dante, Alighiere, 171, 197. 

Danton, Georges Jacques, 419, 
421, 422, 425. 

Darius I, King of Persia, 31, 35. 

Darius III, King of Persia, 44, 45. 

Darkness and Dawn, 74. 

Darnley, Lord Henry Stuart, 269- 
271. 

DAUDET, ALPHONSE, 472. 
Robert Helmont, 472. 

Daughter of New France, A, 587. 

Daughter of the Manse, A, 357. 



Daughters of the Revolution and 

Their Times, 502. 
D'Aulnay, Ruler of Port Royal, 

583. 
David II, King of Scotland, 176, 

189. 
Davis, Jefferson, 

Mexican War, 551. 

President of the Southern Con- 
federacy, 552. 
DAVIS, WILLIAM STEARNS, 
28. 

Belshazzar, 28. 

Friar of Wittenberg, The, 603. 

Friend of Caesar, A, 59. 

God Wills It, 161. 

Victor of Salamis, A, 36. 
Days of Jeanne d'Arc, The, 186. 
DEAN, JOHN M., 577. 

The Promotion, 577. 
Deane, John, 309, 310. 
DEANE, MARY, 320. 

The Rose-Spinner, 320. 
Dearborn, Fort, Chicago, 536. 
DEARMER, PERCY, 126. 

The Dragon of Wessex, 126. 
Deb Clavel, 304. 
DEBENHAM, MARY H., 404. 

The Laird's Legacy, 404. 
Debenham's Vow, 559. 
Decameron (by Boccaccio), 196. 
Decatur and Somers, 531. 
Decatur, Stephen, 532, 537. 
Decius, Emperor, 52, 53, 88. 
Declaration of Independence 

(American), 508, 509. 
Declaration of Indulgence, of 

James II, 304. 
DEEPING, WARWICK, 151. 

Bertrand of Brittany, 175. 

Red Saint, The, 151. 
Defoe, Daniel, 313. 
DEHAN, RICHARD, 463. 

Between Two Thieves, 463. 
DE HAVEN, AUBREY, 510. 

The Scarlet Cloak, 510. 
Deira (Northumbria), 107. 
Delaunay, Governor of the Bas- 

tile, 409, 416. 
Delaware, Washington Crossing 

the, 509, 510. 
Delhi, Indian Mutiny, 365, 366. 
Democracy, Grecian, 38. 
Demoiselle of France, A, 396. 
Demosthenes, 45. 
De Montfort's Squire, 151. 
Denmark, Conflict with Prussia 

and Austria, 619. 
Derby, Countess of, 300. 



INDEX 



709 



Derwentwater, James Radcliffe, 

318, 319. 
Descartes, Rene, 404, 664. 
Desmoulins, Benoit Camille, 423, 

425. 
Despenser, Hugh, 157, 158. 
Detroit 

Pontiac's Conspiracy (1763), 

498, 499. 
War of 1812, 536. 
Dettinger, Battle of (1743), 325, 

327. 
Devereux, 319. 
Devereux, Captain, 609. 
Dewey, Commodore George, 576, 

577. 
Diane, 555. 
Diane of Poitiers, mistress of 

Henry II, 374-376. 
Diary of Mrs. Kitty Trevelyn, 

325. 
DICKENS, CHARLES, 336. 
Barnaby Rudge, 336. 
Tale of Two Cities, A, 423. 
DICKSON, HARRIS, 672. 
She That Hestitates, 672. 
Diderot, Denis, 415. 
Dilemma, The, 367. 
Dimitri IV, Czar of Russia, 666. 
Dinochares, 13. 

Diocletian, Emperor, 89, 90, 92. 
Dionysius, the Areopagite, 74, 75. 
Disaster, The, 468. 
Disruption, The (Presbyterian 
Church of Scotland, 1843), 
357. 
Divina Commedia, The (Dante), 

171. 
Divine Right of Kings, 278, 395. 
DIX, BEULAH M., 284. 
Hugh Gwyeth, 284. 
Making of Christopher Ferring- 

ham, The, 487. 
Soldier Rigdale, 485. 
DIXON, THOMAS, 569. 
Clansman, The, 570. 
Leopard's Spots, 570. 
Traitor, The, 569. 
Dmitri, Russian imposter, 669. 
DODD, MRS. ANNA B., 42. 

On the Knees of the Gods, 42. 
Dogs of War, The, 283. 
Dollard, French Captain in Can- 
ada, 583, 584. 
Dolphin of the Sepulchre, 141. 
Dominion Day (Canada, 1867), 

593. 
Domitia, Empress, 81, 82. 
Domitian, Emperor, 81, 82, 88, 



Domitilla, Niece of Domitian, 81. 
Domremy, Native place of Joan 

of Arc, 186. 
Don Tarquinio, 627. 
Donatello, Italian sculptor, 197. 
Done and Dared in Old France, 

402. 
Donelson, Fort (1862), 559. 
Doomed City, The, 107. 
Dorchester (Durocina), 107. 
Dordogne, Fortress on the, 188. 
Doris, Wife of Herod the Great, 

64. 
Doris Kingsley, Child and Col- 
onist, 492. 
Dorothy Forster, 319. 
Dorset, Marquis of, 220. 
Dost Mohammed, Ameer of 

Cabul, 364. 
DOUGALL, LILY, 546. 

The Mormon Prophet, 546. 
Douglas Castle, 156. 
Douglas, Family of, 155, 164, 189, 
193. 

Archibald, 156. 

David, 191, 192. 

James, Sir, 155, 156. 

Margaret, 192. 

William, Sixth Earl of, 191, 192. 

William, Eighth Earl of, 192. 
DOUGLAS, THEO., 417. 

A Golden Trust, 417. 
Dover Castle, Siege of, 148. 
Dowager, Empress of China, 684. 
Downfall, The, 469. 
DOYLE, ARTHUR CONAN, 
177. 

Adventures of Girard, 447. 

Great Shadow, The, 452. 

Micah Clark, 303. 

Sir Nigel, 177. 

White Company, The, 178. 
Dr. Adrian, 659. 

Dragon and the Raven, The, 126. 
Dragon of Wessex, The, 126. 
Dragonnades, The (Persecution 

of the Huguenots), 401. 
Drake, Francis, 270, 275. 
Dred Scott Decision (1857), 554. 
Dresden, Battle of (1813), 448. 
Dreyfus, Alfred (the Dreyfus 

Case) 473, 474. 
Drogheda' Battle of (1649), 289. 
Druidess, The, 107. 
Druids, The, 71, 72, 96. 
DRUMMOND, HAMILTON, 
236. 

King's Scapegoat, A, 236, 

Shoes of Gold, 677, 



710 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



Drums of War, The, 466. 
Drusilla, Livia, Mother of Tibe- 
rius, 65. 
Drusus, Son of Tiberius, 65. 
Dubois, Abbe, 405, 406. 
Du Bourg, Execution of, 378. 
Dudley Castle, 158. 
Dudley, Guildford, Husband of 

Jane Grey, 264. 
Duelling, Edict against, 387. 
Duke of Britain, A, 96. 
Duke's Vengeance, The, 233. 
DUMAS, ALEXANDRE, 373. 

Andree de Taverney, 422. 

Ascanio, 373. 

Black Tulip, The, 664. 

Chevalier d'Harmental, The, 
405. 

Chevalier de Maison-Rouge, 
The, 421. 

Companions of Jehu, The, 433. 

Countess de Charny, The, 419. 

Marguerite de Valois, 380. 

Memoirs of a Physician, 409. 

Page of the Duke of Savoy, 
The, 375. 

Queen's Necklace, The, 410. 

She-Wolves of Machecoul, 
The, 458. 

Taking of the Bastile, The, 416. 

Three Musketeers, The, 387. 

Twenty Years After, 393. 

Two Dianas, The, 374. 

Vicomte de Bragelonne, The, 
395. 

War of Women, The, 395. 

Whites and the Blues, The, 
428. § 
Dumferline, Scotland, 187. 
Dunbar, Battle of (1650), 290, 294. 
Dundee Castle, Siege of (1297), 

153. 
Dunferry Risin', The, 362. 
Dunnottar Castle, 317. 
Dunstan, Archbishop, 127. 
Duquesne, Fort (1755), 331, 494. 
DURAND, JOHN, 688. 

John Temple, 688. 
Dynevor, Castle of, 153. 



Ealhswith, Wife of Alfred the 

Great, 126, 127.- 
East India Company, The, 335, 

343, 366. 
Eastern Question, The, 681. 
EBERS, GEORG M., 10, 29. 
An Egyptian Princess, 29. 
Arachne, 13. 



Burgomaster's Wife, The, 658 

In the Blue Pike, 602. 

Serapis, 18. 

Uarda, 10. 
Eboracum (York), 90. 
Ecbatana, 45. 
ECCOTT, W. J., 327. 

Demoiselle of France, A, 396. 

Hearth of Hutton, The, 327. 

Red Neighbor, The, 398. 

His Indolence of Arras, 397. 
Eckmuhl, Battle of (1809), 444. 
ECKSTEIN, ERNST, 57. 

Nero, 75. 

Prusias, 57. 

Quintus Claudius, 82. 
EDEN, C. H., 270. 

At Sea Under Drake, 270. 
Edessa, Battle of, 88. 
EDGAR, J. G., 147. 

Cressy and Poictiers, 175. 

Runnymede and Lincoln Fair, 
147. 
Edgar, King of England, 127. 
Edgecote, Battle of (1469), 222. 
Edgehill, Battle of (1642), 284. 
Edith, Wife of Edward the Con- 
fessor, 129. 
Edith, Wife of Henry I, 136. 
Edmund Ironside, 128, 129. 
Edmund, King of East Saxons, 

125. 
Edred, King of England, 127. 
Edward the Confessor, 129, 130. 
Edward the Elder, 127. 
Edward I, King of England, 150, 

151-153. 
Edward II, King of England, 155- 

158, 272. 
Edward III, King of England, 

173-179. 
Edward IV, King of England, 

216-221. 
Edward V, King of England, 221. 
Edward VI, King of England, 

261-263. 
Edward, Son of Henry VI, 218, 

219. 
EDWARDS, AMELIA A, 559. 

Debenham's Vow, 559. 
Edwin, King of Northumbria, 106. 
Edwy, King of England, 127. 
Edwy the Fair, 127. 
Egbert, King of Wessex, 106. 
EGGLESTON, EDWARD, 535. 

Roxy, 535. 
Egypt, Antiquity and Deeds of, 4. 



INDEX 



711 



Eighty Years' War, The (Nether- 
lands, 1568-1648), 658-663. 
Elba, Island of, ruled by Na- 
poleon, 449, 450, 452. 
Eleanor, Wife of Henry II, 140- 

142. 
Eleanor, Wife of Henry III, 148, 

149. 
Eleanor, Wife of Louis VII, 117. 
Elgiva, Daughter of the Thegn, 

130. 
ELIOT, GEORGE, 352. 

Felix Holt, the Radical, 352. 
Romola, 622. 
Elizabeth, Empress of Russia, 

674, 675. 
Elizabeth, Wife of Alexander I of 

Russia, 680. 
Elizabeth, Queen of England, 267- 
276. 
The State of England, 268. 
Education and development of 

Elizabeth, 269. 
England a sea power, 270. 
Portrayal of Elizabeth, 273. 
Captivity and execution of Mary 

Queen of Scots, 274. 
The Spanish Armada, 274, 275. 
Golden Age of Literature, 276. 
Ella, King of Northumbria, 108. 
Elliott, George, Governor of Gi- 
braltar, 334, 335. 
ELLIS, BETH, 230. 

A King of Vagabonds, 230. 
ELLIS, EDWARD S., 512. 

Patriot and Tory, 512. 
ELLIS, J. BRECKENRIDGE, 
108. 
The Soul of a Serf, 108. 
ELRINGTON, H., 71. 

A Story of Ancient Wales, 71. 
Elusive Pimpernel, The, 426. 
Ely, Isle of, 133. 
Emancipation Act (British, 

1833), 340. 
Emancipation Proclamation (Lin- 
coln, 1863), 560. 
Emerson, Ralph Waldo, 
Representative Men: Napoleon, 
454. 
Emmanuel: the Story of the Mes- 
siah, 66. 
Emmet, Robert, Insurrection of, 

345, 346. 
Empires, The Four Universal, 26. 
Enghien, Louis Antoine, Duke of, 

422, 432. 
Enzio, Son of Frederick II, 169, 

170. 
Ephors, at Sparta, 37. 



Epictetus, A Roman philosopher, 

86. 
Epicurean, The, 16. 
Epicureanism, 16, 17, 87. 
Epicurus, 16. 
Epworth, England, 323. 
Erasmus, Desiderius, 240, 256. 
ERCKMANN, EMILE and 

ALEXANDER CHATRIAN, 

428. 
Blockade of Phalsbourg, 449. 
Conscript, The, 450. 
Madame Theresa, 428. 
Man of the People, A, 460. 
Plebiscite, The, 466. 
Waterloo, 453. 
Erfurt, University of, 600, 601. 
Eric, Son of Hengist, 106. 
Erie Railroad Ring, 570. 
Espartaro, Baldomero, Spanish 

general, 648, 649. 
Esquimos, The, 591. 
Essay on Man (Pope), 317 
Essex, Countess of, wife of Lei- 
cester, 272. 
Essex, Earl of, 662. 
Estates-General of France, 121, 

410, 416. 
Este, Leonora d', 628. 
Esterhazy, Major (Dreyfus Case), 

473. 
Esther, Book of, 30, 32. 
Esther, Queen, 31, 32. 
Ethandun, Victory of Alfred the 

Great at, 125. 
Ethelbert, King of Kent, 106, 107. 
Ethelfrith, King of Northumbria, 

108. 
Ethelred I, 125, 126. 
Ethelred II, 127, 128. 
Eton College, 185. 
Ettore Fieramosca, 625. 
Eubulus, 76. 
Eugene, Prince, Austrian general, 

312, 313, 633. 
Eugenie, Wife of Napoleon III, 

462, 466, 468, 472. 
Eusebius, 67. 
Eutaw, 521. 
Eutaw Springs, Battle of (1781), 

521, 522. 
Evans, Colonel De Lacy, 648. 
Everett, Edward, 

The Emigration of the Pilgrim 

Fathers, 485. 
The Landing of the Mayflower, 

485. 
Washington Abroad and at 

Home, 530. 



712 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



Evesham, Battle of (1265), 150, 

151. 
Eveshams, The, 325. 
Exodus, The Jewish, 9-11. 
Exposition, Centennial (1876), 

571. 
Eyck, Jan van, 200, 202, 203, 239. 
Eylau, Battle of (1807), 437. 
Ezra, Book of, 30. 

F 

Face to Face with Napoleon, 449. 

Failure of a Hero, 276. 

Fair Margaret, 247. 

Fair Prisoner, A, 275. 

Fair Rosamond, 142. 

Faith and Reason, 134. 

Faithful, But Not Famous, 370. 

Falconry, 385. 

Falkirk, Battles of (1298), 153, 155. 

(1746), 327. 
Fall of Athens, The, 42. 
Fallen Timbers, Battle of (1794), 

529 
Famine', Irish (1847), 356, 357. 
Farel, William, 370. 
Farm of Aptonga, The, 52. 
Farragut, Captain David, 540. 
FARRAR, FREDERICK W., 74. 

Darkness and Dawn, 74. 
Fate of Father Sheehy, The, 333, 

334. 
Faustina, Wife of Marcus Aure- 

lius, 88. 
Fawkes, Guy, 280, 281. 
Felix Holt, the Radical, 352. 
Fen Dogs, The, 348. 
Fenelon, Francois de, 404. 
Fenian Rebellion, 

In England (1864), 362. 

In Canada (1866), 594, 595. 
FENN, G. MANVILLE, 59. 

Marcus, the Young Centurion, 
59. 

'Tention!, 440. 
Feodor I, Czar of Russia, 669. 
Ferdinand of Bohemia, 607. 
Ferdinand of Brunswick, 331. 
Ferdinand II, King of Spain, 244- 

246. 
Ferdinand V, King of Spain, 641. 
Ferdinand VII, King of Spain, 

440. 
Ferozeshar, Battle of, 364, 365. 
FIELD, MRS. E. M., 125. 

At the King's Right Hand, 125. 
Field of the Cloth of Gold, 255, 

369, 371. 
Fiery Dawn, The, 457. 



Fifth Queen and How She Came 

to Court, The, 258. 
Fifty-four Forty or Fight, 552. 
Fight for the Valley, The, 510. 
Fighting in Cuban Waters, 577. 
Fighting with Fremont, 551. 
FINNEMORE, JOHN, 628. 

A Captive of the Corsairs, 628. 
Fisher's Hill, Battle of (1864), 

564, 565. 
FITCHETT, WILLIAM H., 427. 

A Pawn in the Game, 427. 
Fitzgerald, Lord Edward, 342. 
FITZGERALD, ENO, 10. 

The Witch Queen of Khem, 10. 
FITZHUGH, PERCY K., 587. 

The Galleon Treasure, 587. 
Flame of Fire, A, 643. 
Flanders, 121, 122. 
FLAUBERT, GUST AVE, 48. 

Herodias, 67. 

Salammbo, 48. 
Fleur-de-Camp, 436. 
Flodden Field, Battle of (1513), 

259. 
Florida, Discovery of, 479. 
Flower O' the Corn, 403. 
Flower of Destiny, The, 462. 
Fontenoy, Battle of (1745), 116, 

325, 328. 
For Crown and Covenant, 302. 
For Faith and Fatherland, 660. 
For King or Empress, 137. 
For the Admiral, 379. 
For the Liberty of Texas, 548. 
For the Temple, 78. 
For the White Christ, 114. 
For the White Cockade, 328. 
For the White Rose, 320. 
For the White Rose of Arno, 328. 
Forbidden Name, A, 675. 
FOREMAN, STEPHEN, 348. 

The Fen Dogs, 348. 
Forest Folk, 349. 
Forest Prince, The, 150. 
Forgotten Door, The, 78. 
FORMONT, MAXIME, 627. 

The She- Wolf, 627. 
FORREST, THORPE, 107, 

Builders of the Waste, 107. 
Forster Family, The, 319. 
FORSTER, ROBERT H., 217. 

Arrow of the North, The, 259. 

In Steel and Leather, 217. 
Fort in the Wilderness, The, 498. 
Fortune's My Foe, 328. 
Fortunes of Nigel, The, 280. 
Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck, 
The, 228. 



INDEX 



713 



FOSTER, FRANCIS G. K., 196. 

Jehanne of the Golden Lips, 196. 
FOTHERGILL, JESSIE, 361. 

Probation, 361. 
Fotheringay Castle (Execution of 

Mary Queen of Scots), 274. 
Fouquet, Nicolas, 396. 
FOX, ALICE W., 256. 

The Baron's Heir, 256. 
Fox, George, Founder of Quak- 
ers 293 
FOX, MARION, 180. 

The Seven Knights, 180. 
FRANCE, ANATOLE, 15. 

Thais, 15. 
Francis I, King of France, 255, 

369-374, 603. 
Francis II, King of France, 269. 
Francis II, King of the Two 

Sicilies, 637. 
Franco-German War (1870-71), 
464-472, 620. 

The Causes, 465. 

The contestants compared, 466. 

The Struggle, 467-472. 
Franklin, Benjamin, 317, 331. 
Franks, Kingdom of the, 113. 
Frederick V, Elector of Bohemia, 

607. 
Frederick I, Emperor of Germany, 

162. 
Frederick II, The Great, 168, 170, 
205, 330, 677. 

Seven Years' War, The, 613. 

Silesian Wars, 612, 675. 
FREDERICK, HAROLD, 511. 

In the Valley, 511. 
Free Soil Party, The, 552. 
Fremont, John Charles, explorer, 

550, 551. 
FRENCH, ALLEN, 504. 

The Colonials, 504. 
French Revolution (1789-1799), 
413-429. 

Interpretation of, 413, 414. 

Causes of, 415, 416. 

Historical Outline of, 414. 
Friar of Wittenberg, The, 603. 
Friedland, Battle of (1807), 437. 
Friend of Caesar, A, 59. 
Friend of the People, The, 425. 
Friend Olivia, 292. 
Frobisher, Martin, 275. 
Fronde, Contest of the, 

The First, 392, 393. 

The Second, 393-395. 
Frontenac, Governor, 586, 587. 
Frown of Majesty, The, 400. 
Fugitive Slave Law, The, 553, 
555. 



Fuller Margaret, 549. 
FULLER, R. H., 44. 

The Golden Hope, 44. 
Funston, General Frederick, 577. 



Gadfly, The, 634. 

Gage of Red and White, The, 372. 
Gage, Thomas, British comman- 
der in America, 504. 
Galahad, Sir, 104. 
Galatians, Paul's Epistles to the, 

70. 
GALDOS, BENITO PEREZ, 
347. 

Trafalgar, 347. 
Galeozzo, Gian, 194. 
Galerius, Roman Emperor, 92. 
Galilee, 67, 69. 
Gallant Grenadier, A, 361. 
Galleon Treasure, The, 587. 
GALLIZIER, NATHAN, 167. 

Castel Del Monte, 170. 

Court of Lucifer, The, 625. 

Hill of Venus, The, 170. 

Sorceress of Rome, The, 167. 
Galloway, Scotland, 96, 193, 349. 
Gallus, Cestius, Governor of 

Syria, 78. 
Gama, Vasco da, Explorer, 688. 
Gamaliel, Hebrew teacher, 68. 
Games, Isthmian, 36, 37, 70. 

Nemean, 36. 

Olympian, 36. 

Pythian, 36. 
Garde Doloureuse, Castle of, 143. 
Garden of Swords, The, 467. 
Gardiner, Stephen, 267. 
GARDNER, C. G., 158. 

Dudley Castle, 158. 
Garibaldi, Giuseppe, 637, 638. 
Garigliano, Battle of (1502), 626. 
GARNIER, RUSSELL M, 255. 

The White Queen, 255. 
Garrison, William Lloyd, 555. 
Garter, Order of the, 176. 
Gaston of Orleans, Brother of 

Louis XIII, 387. 
Gascons, The, 114, 115. 
Gate-Openers, The, 355. 
Gates, General Horatio, 519, 520. 
Gaul, Conquest of by Caesar, 58. 
Gaumata (Pseudo-Smerdis), 29, 

30. 
Gaunt, Elizabeth, 304. 
Gaunt, John of, 180. 
Gaveston, Piers, 156-158. 
GAY, FLORENCE, 107, 

The Druidess, 107. 
Gembloux, Battle of (1577), 642. 



714 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



Gendarme of the King, 614. 
General George, 432. 
General's Double, The, 561. 
Gentleman Player, A, 276. 
Gentleman of France, A, 382. 
Geoffrey, Historian, 103. 
George I, King of England, 312, 

316-321. 
George II, King of England, 321- 

332. 
George III, King of England, 333- 

348. 
George IV, King of England, 348- 

351. 
Gerald the Sheriff, 135. 
Gerard, Balthazar, Assassin of 

William of Orange, 661. 
GERARD, MORICE, 275. 

Fair Prisoner, A, 275. 

King's Signet, The, 294. 

Purple Love, 299. 
Gettysburg, Battle of (1863), 561. 
Ghent, Pacification of (1576), 660, 

661. 
Ghibellines, The, 166, 169, 172. 
Ghirlandago, Master of Michel- 
angelo, 239. 
GIBERNE, AGNES, 348. 

Aimee, 401. 

Roy, 348. 
GIBNEY, SOMERVILLE, 261. 

The Maid of London Bridge, 
261. 
Gibraltar, 310, 334, 335. 
Gilder, Richard Watson, 

On the Life Mask of Abraham 
Lincoln, 567. 
GILLIAT, E., 127. 

Asylum Christi, 401. 

God Save King Alfred, 127. 

Wolf's Head, 146. 
Gilmore, 

When Johnny Comes Marching 
Home, 567. 
GILSON, CHARLES, 305. 

Lost Column, The, 685. 

Lost Empire, The, 343, 428. 

Spy, The, 443. 

Sword of Freedom, The, 305. 

White Cockade, The, 421. 
Giotto, Florentine, painter, 197. 
Girondin, The, 418. 
Girondins, The, 418, 420, 423, 425. 
GISSING, GEORGE, 102. 

Veranilda, 102. 
Gladiators, School of, 57. 
Gladiators, The, 77. 
Gladstone, William E., 336. 
Glaucia: The Greek Slave, 74. 
Gleaming Dawn, The, 207. 



Glen O' Weeping, The, 309. 
Glencoe, The Massacre of (1602), 

309. 
Glendower, Owen, Revolt of 

(1402), 182. 
Glenshiel, Battle of (1719), 320. 
Glory of War, The, 312. 
GLOVATSKI, A., 12. 

The Pharaoh and the Priest, 12. 
God of Clay, The, 427. 
God of Love, The, 171. 
God Save King Alfred, 127. 
God Wills It, 161. 
Godfrey of Bouillon, 160. 
Godolphin, Sidney, Earl of, 311, 

313. 
God's Providence House, 339. 
Godunof, Boris, 669. 
Godwin, Earl of Wessex, 129. 
Goethe and Schiller, 614. 
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang, 614. 
GOGOL, NIKOLAI V., 668. 

Taras Bulba, 668. 
Golden Book of Venice, The, 629. 
Golden Bull of Germany, The 

(1356), 204. 
Golden Fleece, Order of the, 200. 
Golden Hope, The, 44. 
Golden Trust, A, 417. 
Gonsalvo de Cordova, 625, 626. 
GOODWIN, MAUD W., 316. 

Veronica Playfair, 316. 

White Aprons, 483. 
Gordon, Lady Catherine, 229. 
Gordon, Charles G., Governor- 
General of the Soudan, 596. 
Gordon, Lord George, 336, 337. 
Gordon Riots, The (1780), 336, 337. 
Gorgeous Borgia, The, 626. 
Gorgey, Austrian general, 618. 
Gorgias, Sophistic philosopher, 38. 
Goths, The, Defeated by Theo- 

dosius, 17, 94. 
Gough, Sir Hugh, 364, 365. 
GOULD, S. BARING, 188. 

In Dewisland, 335. 

Noemi, 188. 

Pabo the Priest, 136. 

Urith, 304. 
Governor's Daughter, The, 614. 
Gower, John, 181. 
Gowrie, 276. 
Gowrie Conspiracy, The (1600), 

276, 280. 
Graham, John, of Calverhouse, 

301. 
GRAHAM, JOHN W., 65. 

Neaera, 65. 
Grail, Holy, The, 104. 
Granada, Conquest of, 244, 246. 



INDEX 



715 



Granicus, Battle of the B. C, 334, 

45. 
Granson, Battle of (1476), 232, 

233. 

GRANT, JAMES, 192. 

Adventures of an Aide-de-Camp, 
The, 439. 

Bothwell, 270. 

Captain of the Guard, The, 192. 

Harry Ogilvie, 289. 

Lucy Arden, 319. 

Second to None, 330. 

Yellow Frigate, The, 228. 
Grant, Ulysses S. 

Mexican War, 552. 

Civil War, 559-562, 564, 566. 

Administration of. 570, 571. 
Granvelle, Bishop, 654, 656. 

GRAS, FELIX, 417. 

The Reds of the Midi. 417. 
Gravelines, Battle of (1558), 655. 
Gravelotte, Battle of (1870), 468, 

469. 
Gray, Sir Patrick, 192. 

GRAYDON, W. M., 486. 

With Musqueteer and Redskin, 
486. 
Great Britain, Union of England 

and Scotland (1707), 310. 
Great-Heart Gillian, 470. 
Great Proconsul, The, 335. 
Great Shadow, The, 452. 
Greece, Daniel's Prophecy of, 33. 

Geographical peculiarities, 33. 

Racial Characteristics, 33, 34. 
GREEN, EVELYN EVERETT, 
152. 

In Fair Granada, 642. 

In Taunton Town, 306. 

In the Wars of the Roses, 219. 

Knights of the Road, 334. 

Lord of Dynevor, The, 152. 

Shut In, 662. 

Young Pioneers, The, 586. 
Green Mountain Boys, The, 503. 
Greene, Nathaniel, American gen- 
eral, 520, 521. 
GREENER, WILLIAM, 217. 

The Men of Harlech, 217. 
Gregory VII, Pope, 167, 168. 
Gregory XI, Pope, 194. 
GREY, CYRIL, 302. 

For Crown and Covenant, 302. 
Grey, Elizabeth, Wife of Edward 

IV, 217, 220. 
Grey, Lady Jane, 261-265. 
GRIBBLE, FRANCIS, 458. 

A Romance of the Tuileries, 458. 



GRIER, SIDNEY C, 329. 

Great Proconsul, The, 335. 

Like Another Helen, 329. 

One Crowded Hour, 637. 

Young Man Married, A, 443. 
GRIFFIS, WILLIAM E., 513. 

The Pathfinders of the Revolu- 
tion, 513. 

GRIFFITH, GEORGE, 480. 

John Brown Buccaneer, 644. 

Virgin of the Sun, The, 480. 
Griffith, W. L., Sec. of High Com- 
missioner of Canada, 597. 

GRIFFITHS, ARTHUR G. F., 

645. 
Thrice Captive, 645. 

GRIFFITHS, RYLES D., 130. 

Elgiva, Daughter of the Thegn, 
130. 
Groningen, Siege and capture of 

(1593), 662. 
Grosselliers, French explorer, 584, 

585. 
GROSSI, THOMMASO, 172. 

Marco Visconti, 172. 
Guelphs, The, 166, 169, 172, 195. 

GUERRAZZI, FRANCESCO D., 

630. 

Beatrice Cenci, 630. 
Guesclin, Bertrand du, 175, 179. 
Guiana (Raleigh's Expeditions), 

281, 282. 
Guichard, Bishop, 122. 
Guienne, 173. 
Guilford Court House, Battle of 

(1781), 520, 521. 
Guinevere, Wife of King Arthur, 

103, 104. 
Guise, Duke of, 380-382. 
Guise, House of, 372. 
Guiton. Jean, Siege of La Rochelle, 

388. 
Guizot, Francois Pierre, 457. 

GULL, C. R., 137. 

House of Torment, 268. 

Serf, The, 137. 
Gunpowder Plot, The, 280. 
Gustavus II, Adolphus, King of 

Sweden, 607-610. 
Guthrun, Danish leader, 125, 126. 
Guy Fawkes, 280. 
Guzerat, Battle of (1848), 365. 
Gwynn, Nell. Mistress of Charles 

II, 295, 297. 
GWYNN, STEPHEN, 345. 

Robert Emmet, 345. 



716 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



H 



Haarlem, Siege of (1573), 656. 
Habeas Corpus Act (1679), 341. 
Hadassah, Queen of Persia, 32. 
Hadrian, Emperor, 85. 
Hadrian Wall, The, 85, 90, 96. 

HAGGARD, HENRY R., 11. 

Fair Margaret, 247. 

World's Desire, The, 11. 
Hail Columbia, 531. 
HALE, E. EVERETT, 118. 

In His Name, 118. 
HALL, MORETON, 432. 

General George, 432. 
Haman, 31. 
Hamilcar, Carthaginian leader, 

47, 48. 

Hamilton, Alexander, 524, 533. 
HAMILTON, ERNEST, 193. 

The Mawkin of the Flow, 193. 
HAMILTON, EUGENE LEE, 
479. 

The Romance of the Fountain, 
479. 
HAMMERLING, ROBERT, 40. 

Aspasia, 40. 
HANCOCK, ALBERT E., 570. 

Henry Bourland, 570. 
Hancock, John, 505. 
Hand of Leonore, The, 408. 
Hannibal, Carthaginian leader, 

48, 49. 

Hanover, House of, 315. 

George I, 316-321. 

George II, 321-332. 

George III, 331-348. 

George IV, 348-351. 

William IV, 351-353. 

Queen Victoria, 354-367. 
Hanseatic League, The (1241), 

200. 
HARCOURT, A. F. P., 367. 

The Peril of the Sword, 367. 
Hardicanute, Son of Canute, 128. 
Hardrada, Harold, Norwegian 

king, 131. 
HARDY, A. S., 114. 

Passe Rose, 114. 
Harfleur, Capture of, 184. 
Harlech Castle, Siege of, 217. 
Harmar, General, conflict with the 

Indians (1790), 529. 
Harold, 131. 
Harold, King of England, 129, 

130. 
Harold, Son of Canute, 128. 



HARRIS, EDWIN, 134. 

Odo, 134. 

Siege of Leed's Castle, 157. 

Simon de Montfort, 150. 
HARRIS, FRANK, 572. 

The Bomb. 572. 
HARRIS, JOEL C, 562. 

Little Union Scout, A, 562. 
Harris, Townsend, American Con- 
sul, Japan, 633. 
Harrison, President Benjamin, 572, 

573. 
HARRISON, CONSTANCE C, 
566. 

The Carlyles, 566. 
HARRISON, FREDERICK, 151. 

De Montfort's Squire, 151. 
HARRISON, F. BAYFORD, 164. 

Brothers in Arms, 164. 
Harrison, General William H., 

536. 
HARROD, FRANCES, 205. 

The Wanton, 205. 
Harry Ogilvie, 289. 
HARTLEY, MRS. MAY, 362. 

Ismay's Children, 362. 
Hastings, Battle of (1066), 130, 

131. 
Hastings, Warren, 330, 335. 
Hastings, Lord William, 220-223. 
HAUSRATH, ADOLPH D., 85. 

Antinous, 85. 
Havelock, Sir Henry, 366. 
Hawaii, Republic of, 573. 
Hawke, Sir Edward, 329, 495. 
Hawkins, Sir John, 270, 275. 
Hawkwood, John, 241. 
Hawkwood, Richard, 241. 
HAWTHORNE, NATHANIEL, 
548. 

The Blithedale Romance, 548. 
HAYENS, HERBERT, 364. 

Bravest Gentleman in France, 
The, 388. 

British Legion, The, 648. 

Captain of Irregulars, A, 544. 

Clevely Sahib, 364. 

For the Admiral, 379. 

In the Grip of the Spaniard, 
544. 

My Sword's My Fortune, 393. 

One of the Red Shirts, 638. 

Paris at Bay, 472. 

President's Scouts, The, 572. 

Red Caps of Lyons, The, 421. 

Red White and Green, 618. 

Scouting For Buller, 693. 
Haymarket Riot, Chicago (1886), 
572. 



INDEX 



717 



Hays, Mary ("Moll Pitcher"), 

513. 
Heart of Hope, The, 560. 
Heart of Midlothian, The, 322. 
Hearth of Hutton, The, 327. 
Heart's Highway, The, 484. 
Heart's Key, The, 120. 
Hedgeley Moor, Battle of (1464), 

218. 
Heidelberg, 607. 
Held by Rebels, 188. 
Held Fast For England, 334. 
Helena, Mother of Constantine 

the Great, 90. 
Helmet of Navarre, The, 384. 
HELPS, ARTHUR, 673. 

Ivan de Biron, 673. 
Hengist, A. Chief of the Jutes, 

105, 109. 
HENHAM, ERNEST G., 595. 

Menotah, 595. 
Henry Bourland, 570. 
Henry Esmond, 331, 332. 
Henry I, King of England, 136- 

138. 
Henry II, King of England, 117, 

139-143. 
Henry III, King of England, 148, 

151. 
Henry IV, King of England, 181- 

183. 
Henry V, King of England, 183- 

185. 
Henry VI, King of England, 215- 

219. 
Henry VII, King of England, 224- 

230, 247. 
Henry VIII, King of England, 

253-261, 369. 
Henry II, King of France, 374- 

376. 
Henry III, King of France, 379- 

382. 
Henry of Navarre (afterwards 

Henry IV), 373, 378, 380, 381. 
Henry IV, 382-384. 
Henry of Guise, 382. 
Henry of Navarre, 379. 
Henry IV, Emperor of Germany, 

168. 
Henry, Patrick, 
Against the Adoption of the 

Constitution, 528. 

HENTY, GEORGE A., 9. 

At the Point of the Bayonet, 

343. 
Bonnie Prince Charlie, 327. 
Both Sides of the Border, 182. 
Bravest of the Brave, The, 645. 



By Conduct and Courage, 344. 

By England's Aid, 662. 

By Right of Conquest, 479. 

By Sheer Pluck, 690. 

Cat of Bubastes, 9. 

Dragon and the Raven, The, 
126. 

For the Temple, 78. 

Held Fast For England, 334. 

In Freedom's Cause, 155. 

In the Irish Brigade, 404. 

In the Reign of Terror, 426. 

In Times of Peril, 365. 

Lion of the North, The, 607. 

No Surrender, 420. 

Orange and Green, 308. 

Out With Garibaldi, 638. 

St. Bartholomew's Eve, 379. 

Through Russian Snows, 447. 

Through the Sikh War, 364. 

Tiger of Mysore, The, 342. 

To Herat and Cabul, 363. 

True to the Old Flag, 525. 

Under Wellington's Command, 
443. 

When London Burned, 298. 

Winning His Spurs, 164. 

With Buller in Natal, 692. 

With Cochrane the Dauntless, 
545. 

With Frederick the Great, 613. 

With Lee in Virginia, 558. 

With Moore at Corunna, 440. 

With Roberts to Pretoria, 693. 

With the Allies to Pekin, 684. 

With the British Legion, 647. 

With Wolfe in Canada, 495. 

Wolf the Saxon, 131. 

Won by the Sword, 610. 

Young Buglers, The, 442. 

Young Carthaginian. The, 49. 

Young Colonists, The, 691. 
Her Hor (Smendes), 12. 
Herald of the West, A, 541. 
Heralds of Empire, 584. 
Herat, Siege of (Afghanistan), 

364. 
Herbois, Collot-d', 421. 
Herculaneum, Destruction of (A. 

D. 79), 80. 
Herder, Johann Gottfried, 615. 
Heresy, 82, 119, 181. 
Hereward, English leader, 131, 

132, 133. 
Hereward the Wake, 132. 
Heritage, The, 529. 
Hermes, Statues of, 41. 
Hero of Lucknow, A, 367. 
Hero of Sedan, A, 470. 



718 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



Herod the Great, 64. 
Herodias, 67. 

Herodias, Wife of Antipas, 67. 
Herodotus, 31. 

Heroine of the Strait, The, 497. 
Herrnhut, Moravian headquar- 
ters, 207, 324. 
HERVEY, MAURICE H., 286. 

Amyas Egerton, Cavalier, 286. 
Hetaerae, Grecian women of Cul- 
ture, 40. 
HEWLETT, MAURICE, 120. 

Brazenhead the Great, 198. 

Heart's Key, The, 120. 

Richard Yea-and-Nay, 144. 
Hezekiah, King of Judah, 25. 
Highland Mary, 337. 
Hill of Venus, The, 170. 
HILL, WILLIAM K., 305. 

Under Three Kings, 305. 
Hills of Home, 328. 
HINKSON, HENRY A., 281. 

Glory of War, The, 312. 

House of the Oak, The, 291. 

Splendid Knight, The, 281. 
His Excellency, 464. 
His Indolence of Arras, 397. 
History 

Divisions of, 2. 

Philosophy of, 1. 
Hittites, The, 10. 
HOARE, E. N., 202. 

Turbulent Town, A, 202. 
HOBBS, ROE R., 67. 

Court of Pilate, The, 67. 
Hobkirk's Hill, Battle of (1781), 

521. 
Hochkirchen, Battle of (1758), 

613. 
HOCKING, JOSEPH, 267. 

Chariots of the Lord, The, 306. 

Coming of the King, The, 295. 

Flame of Fire, A, 643. 

Lest We Forget, 267. 

Sword of the Lord, The, 602. 
Hofer, Andreas, Tyrolean patriot, 

444, 445. 
Hoherilinden, Battle of (1800), 

432. 
Hohenstaufen Dynasty, 166, 170, 

204. 
HOLLIS, GERTRUDE, 94. 

Dolphin of the Sepulchre, 141. 

Hugh the Messenger, 176. 

In the Days of Anselm, 134. 

Leo of Mediolanum, 94. 

Scholar of Lindisfarne, A, 108. 
Holmby House, Imprisonment of 
Charles I, 286. 



Holmby House, 287. 
Holmes, Oliver Wendell, 
Old Ironsides, 537. 

HOLT, EMILY SARAH, 108. 

Clare Avery, 275. 

Imogen, 108. 

Red and White, 218. 
Holy Grail, The, 104. 
Holy Isle, 108. 
Holy Roman Empire (962-1806 V 

66, 598. 
Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh, 269 
Home Rule, Irish, 362, 363. 
Homildon Hill, Battle of (1402), 

182. 
Honorius, Emperor, 18, 94, 95. 

HOOD, ALEXANDER N., 636. 

Adria, 636. 
Hood, General John B., 565. 
Hood, Robin, 145, 146. 
Hooker, General J., 560, 562. 
Hooper, John, 263. 
HOPE, MISS GRAHAM, 372. 

Cardinal and His Conscience, 
A, 377. 

Gage of Red and White, The, 
372. 
Hopkinson, Joseph, 

Hail Columbia, 531. 
HOPPUS, MARY A. M., 81. 

Masters of the World, 81. 
Horace, 63. 
Horsa, A Chief of the Jutes, 105. 

106, 109. 
Hotspur, Harry, 182. 
HOUGH, EMERSON, 552. 

Fifty-four Forty or Fight, 552. 

Purchase Price, The. 556. 
Hour and the Man, The, 433. 
House in the Rath, The, 342. 
House of the Combrays, The, A 33. 
House of the Oak, The, 291. 
House of the Wizard, The, 257. 
House of the Wolf, 379. 
House of Torment, 268. 
Howard, Catharine, Wife cf 

Henry VIII, 258. 
Howard, Lord Charles, 275, 662. 
Howard, John, Philanthropist, 

334. 
HOWARTH, ANNA, 689. 

Sword and Assegai, 689. 
Howe, Julia Ward, 

Battle Hymn of the Republic, 567. 
Howe, Richard, British com- 
mander, 344. 
Howe, Sir William, British gen- 
eral in America, 508, 509, 512. 



INDEX 



719 



HUBBARD, ELBERT, 556. 

Time and Chance, 556. 
Hudson Bay Company, The, 585, 

590, 595. 
HUDSON, CHARLES B., 481. 

The Crimson Conquest, 481. 
Hudson, Henry, 489, 584. 
Hudson River, 489, 584. 
HUEFFER, FORD M., 258. 
Fifth Queen and How She 

Came to Court, The, 258. 
Privy Seal: His Last Venture, 
259. 
Hugh, Gwyeth, 284. 
Hugh the Messenger, 176. 
HUGO, VICTOR, 235. 
Les Miserables, 452. 
Ninety-Three, 420. 
Notre Dame de Paris, 235. 
Huguenots, The, 

Conflict with the Guises, 376. 
Defeated at Jarnac, 378. 
Defeated at Moncontour, 378. 
Massacre of St. Bartholomew, 

378, 379. 
Policy of Richelieu, 386. 
Revocation of Edict of Nantes, 
400, 401. 
Huguenot, The, 401. 
Humbert I, King of Italy, 638. 
Hundred Days, Napoleon's reign 

of the, 451, 455. 
Hundred Years' War, The, 173- 
188, 215. 
Causes of, 173. 
Historical Outline, 173. 
Battles: 
Agincourt, 184. 
Capture of Calais, 174, 176. 
Crecy, 174-176. 
Harfleur, 184. 
Neville's Cross, 176. 
Orleans, 186. 
Poitiers, 174, 176. 
Sluys, 174. 
Huns, The, 97. 
Hunt, Henry, 350. 
HUNTER, PETER H., 302. 

Bible and Sword, 302. 
Huss, John, Bohemian reformer, 

184, 206. 
Hussite Wars (1419-1436), 207, 

208. 
Huston, Sam, Texan Independ- 
ence, 547, 548. 
Hutchinson, Anne, 486, 487. 
Huygens, Christian, 404. 
Hyde, Anne, Duchess of York, 
297. 



Hyksos Kings (Egypt), 7, 8. 
HYNE, CHARLES J. C, 291. 
Prince Rupert the Buccaneer. 

291. 
Hypatia, 18-20. 
Hypatia, or New Foes with an 

Old Face, 20. 
Hypatius, 102. 

I. 

Iberville, Pierre d', 587. 

Iconium, Christianity introduced 

into, 70, 71. 
Idylls of the King (Tennyson), 

103, 104. 
Imogen, 108. 
Impey, Sir Elijah, 335. 
In Castle and Colony, 490. 
In Circling Camps, 561. 
In Dewisland, 355. 
In Fair Granada, 642. 
In Freedom's Cause, 155. 
In His Name, 118. 
In Hostile Red, 513. 
In Kedar's Tents, 648. 
In Perilous Times, 268. 
In Press-Gang Days, 345. 
In Sarsfield's Days, 308. 
In Spite of All, 284. 
In Steel and Leather, 217. 
In Taunton Town, 306. 
In the Blue Pike, 602. 
In the Camp of Cornwallis, 510. 
In the Days of Adversity, 402. 
In the Days of Anselm, 134. 
In the Days of Nelson, 345. 
In the Days of Queen Mary, 266. 
In the Grip of the Spaniard, 544. 
In the Irish Brigade, 404. 
In the King's Favor, 259. 
In the Midst of Alarms, 594. 
In the Olden Time, 604. 
In the Palace of the King, 643. 
In the Reign of Terror, 426. 
In the Valley, 511. 
In the Wars of the Roses, 219. 
In the Year of Waterloo, 451. 
In Time of War, 470. 
In Times of Peril, 365. 
In Treaty with Honor, 593. 
In Troubled Times, 656. 
Incarnation, Doctrine of, 82. 
Inca's Ransom, The, 480. 
Inchbracken, 357. 
India, 

Period of George II, 329, 330. 

Period of George III, 335, 342, 
343. 

Period of Victoria, 363-367. 



720 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



Indulgences, Sale of, 602, 603. 
Infidel, The, 323. 

Inkermann, Battle of (1854), 361. 
INMAN, H. E., 125. 

Wulnoth the Wanderer, 125. 
Innsbruck, Capital of Tyrol, 445. 
INNES, NORMAN, 610. 

Governor's Daughter, The, 614. 
My Lady's Kiss, 610. 
Surge of War, The, 613. 
Innocent III, Pope, 119, 146, 210. 
Inquisition, The Spanish, 247, 641, 

644, 654, 657. 
Institutes of the Christian Re- 
ligion (Calvin), 377. 
Interpreter, The, 361. 
Interregnum, The Great, 170, 204, 

206. 
Iona, Island of, 108. 
Ionia, Island of, 108. 
Irish Famine, The (1847), 356, 

357. 
Irish Rebellion (1798), 341. 
Ironsides, The (Cromwell's 

Troops), 284. 
Iroquois, The, 514, 583, 584. 
IRVING, WASHINGTON, 248. 

The Alhambra, 248. 
Isabella, Queen of Castile, 244, 

248. 
Isabella II, Queen of Spain, 647- 

650. 
Isabella, Wife of Edward II, 158. 
Isandhlwana, Battle of (1879), 

690, 691. 
Iscariot, Judas, 66. 
ISHAM, FREDERICK S., 570. 

Black Friday, 570. 
Ishmael, 463. 
Ishtar, 22, 28. 
Isle, Rouget de 1\ Author of the 

Marseillaise, 417. 
Ismay's Children, 362. 
Israel, Kingdom of, 22. 
Israelites in Egypt, 8, 9. 
Issue, The, 553. 

Issus, Battle of (B. C. 333), 44. 
Istar of Babylon, 28. 
Isthmian Games, 33, 37, 70. 
It Is Never Too Late to Mend, 

359. 
Ivan de Biron, 673. 
Ivan the Great, Czar of Russia, 

666. 
Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible), Czar 

of Russia, 666-668. 
Ivan, Joint ruler with Peter the 

Great, 671. 
Ivan VI, Czar, 675, 677. 



Ivanhoe, 144. 

Ivry, Battle of (1590), 383, 384. 

J 

Jack and His Island, 540. 
Jackson, Andrew, 

War of 1812, 541. 

Administration of, 545-548. 
Jackson, Thomas (Stonewall), 

Mexican War, 552. 

Civil War, 558-560. 
Jacob, Father of Israel, 7. 
Jacobins, The, 418, 420, 432. 
Jacobites, The, 

Rising of 1715, 316-320. 

Rising of 1719, 320. 

Rising of 1721, 321. 

Rising of 1745, 325-328, 407. 
Jacquerie, Rising of the, 175, 178. 
James I, King of Scotland, 189- 

181. 
James II, King of Scotland, 189- 

193. 
James III, King of Scotland, 228. 
James IV, King of Scotland, 259. 
James V, King of Scotland, 260. 
James VI, King of Scotland, 276, 

277. 
James I, King of England, 278- 

282. 
James II, King of England, 303- 

306, 401. 
James, Duke of Monmouth, 295- 

297, 303. 
James, Duke of York, 296-298, 

301, 302. 
James II, King of Lusignan, 242. 
JAMES, GEORGE P. R., 97. 

Agincourt, 184. 

Arabella Stuart, 279. 

Attila, 97. 

Gowrie, 276. 

Heidelberg, 607. 

Henry of Guise, 382. 

Huguenot, The, 401. 

Leonora d'Orco, 624. 

Life and Adventures of John 
Marston Hall, 392. 

Man at Arms, The, 378. 

One in a Thousand, 383. 

Philip Augustus, 120. 

Woodman, The, 225. 
Jameson's Raid (1893), 691. 
Jamestown, Va., Settlement of, 

482. 
Jan Van Elselo, 655. 
Jane Shore, 220. 
Janizaries, The, 212, 213. 
Janus, Temple of, 63. 



INDEX 



721 



Japan, American Treaty with 

(1854), 683, 684. 
Jarnac, Battle of (1569), 378, 379. 
Jay of Italy, A, 240. 
Jay Treaty, The (1794), 530. 
JEANS, A., 617. 

The Stronger Wings, 617. 
Jefferson, President Thomas, 531. 
Jeffreys, Judge, 303. 
Jehanne of the Golden Lips, 196. 
Jena, Battle of (1806), 437, 438. 
Jennings, Sarah (Duchess of 

Marlborough), 297, 311-313. 
Jerome of Prague, 207. 
Jerusalem, Palestine, 25, 77-79. 

Time of the Crusaders, 144, 159- 
164. 
Jervis, Sir John, 344. 
Jesus of Nazareth, 64. 
Jews, The, under the Spanish In- 
quisition, 641. 
Joan of Arc, 186-188. 
Joanna I, Queen of Navarre, 121, 

122, 195-197. 
John Brown Buccaneer, 644. 
John Deane, 309. 
John, King of England, 120, 146- 

148, 175. 
John, King of France, 176. 
John March, Southerner, 570. 
John of Austria (see Juan Don). 
John of Gaunt, 180. 
John of Gerisau, 619. 
John Temple, 688. 
John the Baptist, 67. 
JOHNSON, OWEN, 417. 

Nicole, 417. 
JOHNSTON, MARY, 560. 

The Long Roll, 560. 
JOHNSTON, WILLIAM, 691. 

The Yellow Shield, 691. 
Joliet, Louis, 585, 586. 
Jones, John Paul, 

Commander of the Ranger, 515. 

Commander of the Bon Homme 
Richard, 515. 

Defeat of the Serapis, 516, 517. 

Death and Burial, 516, 517. 
Jones of the 64th, 343. 
Jonson, Ben, 276. 
JORDAN, HUMFREY, 386. 

My Lady of Intrigue, 386. 
Joscelyn Cheshire, 513. 
Joseph of Arimathea, 104. 
Joseph, Son of Jacob, 7, 8. 
Josephine, Wife of Napoleon, 

427, 445, 446. 
Josephus, Jewish Historian, 78. 



Jotapata, Town of, 78. 

Jovian, Emperor, 93. 

Juan, Don (John of Austria), 

642, 643. 
Judah, Kingdom of, 23, 27. 
Judaism. 25. 
Julianus, Didius, 15. 
Junot, Androche, 440, 441. 
Justinian, Emperor, 100, 101. 
Jutes, The, 105, 109. 



Kadesh, 11. 

Kaffirs, African Tribe, 689. 

KALER, JAMES O., 505. 

Across the Delaware, 510. 

At the Siege of Quebec, 506. 

Charming Sally, The, 501. 

In the Camp of Cornwallis, 510. 

Minute Boys of Long Island, 
The, 508. 

Traitor's Escape, K., 523. 

With Lafayette at Yorktown, 
525. 

With Perry on Lake Erie, 538. 

With Porter in the Essex, 539. 

With Warren at Bunker Hill, 
505. 
Karnak, Temple of, 8, 12. 
Kathleen Mavourneen, 341. 
Katzbach, Battle of (1813), 448. 
KAYE, MICHAEL W., 233. 

The Duke's Vengeance, 233. 
Kearney, Colonel Stephen, 551. 
Kearsarge, Defeats the Alabama 

(1864), 563, 564. 
KEARY, ANNIE MARIA, 356. 

Castle Daly, 356. 
KEIGHTLEY, SAMUEL R., 287. 

The Cavaliers, 287. 
KEITH, MARION, 596. 

The Silver Maple, 596. 
KELLY, WILLIAM PATRICK, 
8. 

Assyrian Bride, The, 25. 

Stonecutter of Memphis, 8. 

Stranger From Ionia, The, 39. 
Kenilworth, 272. 

Kenilworth, Dictum of (1266), 150. 
Kenilworth, England, 272, 273. 
KENNEDY, SARAH B., 513. 

Cicely, 564. 

Joscelyn Cheshire, 513. 
Kenneth, 448. 

KENNY, MRS. STACPOOLE, 
402. 

Love is Life, 402. 



722 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



KENYON, EDITH C, 264. 
Adventures of Timothy, The, 

284. 
Queen of Nine Days, A, 264. 

KENYON, O, 82. 

Amor Victor, 82. 
KER, DAVID, 611. 

The Wizard King, 611. 
Kesteven, Battle of, 126. 
Ket, Robert, Insurrection of 

(1549), 261. 
Ketteler, Baron von, 684. 
Key, Francis Scott, 

The Star Spangled Banner, 541. 
Kidnapped Regiment, The, 325. 
Killecrankie, Battle of (1689), 309, 

328. 
Kimberley, Transvaal, Siege and 

Relief of, 692. 
King Alfred's Viking, 126. 
KING, CHARLES, 561. 
General's Double, The, 561. 
Rock of Chickamauga, The, 561, 
565. 
King George's War (1744-48), 

494. 
King Olaf's Kinsman, 128. 
King of Vagabonds, A, 230. 
King Penda's Captain, 109. 
KING, R. A., 362. 

The Wearing of the Green, 362 
King Stork of the Netherlands, 

661. 
King William's War (1689-97), 

494. 
Kings, Divine Right of, 278. 
King's Guerdon, The, 297. 
King's Masquerade, A, 260. 
King's Mignon, The, 381. 
King's Mountain, Battle of (1780), 

520. 
King's Revoke, The, 440. 
King's Ring, The, 608. 
King's Scapegoat, A, 236. 
King's Signet, The, (Gerard), 294. 
King's Signet, The, (Pollard), 401. 
King's Stirrup, The, 135. 
King's Tragedy, A, 191. 
King's Treachery, A, 379. 
King's Treasure House, The, 11. 
KINGSLEY, CHARLES, 20. 
Alton Locke, Tailor and Poet, 

358. 
Hereward the Wake, 132. 
Hypatia, 20. 
Westward Ho! 274. 
KINGSLEY, FLORENCE M, 31. 
The Star of Love, 31. 



KINGSLEY, HENRY, 202. 

Old Margaret, 202. 
KINGSTON, WILLIAM H. G ., 

309. 
John Deane, 309. 
Kinsman and Namesake, 183. 
KIRKE, VIOLET T., 659. 

Brothers Five, 659. 
Kitchener, Lord Horatio, 690. 
Kleber, Jean Baptiste, 420. 
KNAPP, ADELINE, 206. 

The Boy and the Baron, 206. 
Knight of Poland, A, 681. 
Knight of Spain, A, 642. 
Knight of St. John, A, 628. 
Knightly Years, The, 245. 
Knighthood's Flower, 388. 
Knights Hospitaler of St. John, 

170, 171, 628. 
Knights of Liberty, The, 455. 
Knights of the Road, 334. 
Knights Templar, 170. 
Knox, John, Scotch Reformer, 

269. 
Koomati Poort, Battle of (1900), 

692. 
Koran, The, 159, 212. 
Kosciusko, Thaddeus, 679. 
Kossuth, Louis, Revolt of (1849), 

618. 
Kruger, Paul, 691, 692. 
Ku-Klux-Klan, The, 569, 570. 
Kumasi (see Coomassie). 
Kunersdorf, Battle of (1759), 613. 



Lacy, Sir Hugo de, 143. 

Lad of the O'Friels', A, 355. 

Lady of Fort St. John, The, 582. 

Lady of France, A, 122. 

Lady of the Lake (Scott), 318. 

Lady of Tripoli, The, 118. 

Ladysmith, Transvaal, Siege and 

Relief of, 692. 
Lafayette, Marie Jean, 422, 513. 

524 : 525, 542. 
La Fontaine, Jean de, 398, 404. 
La Hogue, Battle of (1692), 402. 
Laird's Legacy, The, 404. 
Lake Erie, Battle of (1813), 538, 

539. 
Lally of the Brigade, 632. 
Lamballe, Madame de, 417. 
Lamartine, Alphonse de, 429. 
Lanark, Governor of, 154. 
Lancashire, Cotton Famine in, 362. 
Lancaster, House of, 215. 
Lancelot, Sir, 104. 
Land League, Irish, 62, 63. 



INDEX 



723 



LANDOR, W. SAVAGE, 39. 

Pericles and Aspasia, 39. 
Lanfranc, Archbishop, 133, 134. 
LANG, ANDREW, 11, 145. 
Monk of Fife, A, 187. 
World's Desire, The, 11. 
Langland, William, 180, 181. 

Piers Plowman, 180, 181. 
Langside, Battle of (1568), 273. 
Langton, Stephen, 147, 149. 
Lapsed, Not Lost, 52. 
La Rochelle (see Rochelle La). 
Lasalle, Ferdinand, 618. 
System of Acquired Rights, 618. 
La Salle, Robert Cavalier, 585, 

586. 
Last Days of Pompeii, The, 80. 
Last of Her Race, The, 644. 
Last of the Barons, The, 219. 
Last of the Chiefs, The, 571. 
Last Supper, The, 104. 
Laswaree, Battle of (1803), 343. 
Latimer, Hugh, 257, 263, 265, 267. 
La Tour, Lady, Defender of Ft. 

St. John, 583. 
Laud, William, Archbishop, 284. 
Laurier, Sir Wilfrid, 597. 
LAUT, AGNES C, 584. 

Heralds of Empire, 584. 
LaVendee, 421. 

La Vendee, Uprising in, 420, 421. 
Law, John (Mississippi Bubble), 

406. 
Lawrence, Sir Henry, 366. 
Lawrence, Captain James, 539. 
Lawton, Henry W., 576, 577. 
Lay of the Last Ministrel (Scott), 

193- 
Lazarre, 426. 

League of the Public Weal, 234. 
LEE, ALBERT, 246. 

Baronet in Corduroy, The, 313. 

Black Disc, The, 246. 

Frown of Majesty, The, 400. 

Inca's Ransom, The, 480. 

King Stork of the Netherlands, 
661. 

King's Treachery, A, 379. 

Prince's Messenger, The, 660. 
Lee, Colonel Henry ("Light 

Horse Harry"), 521. 
Lee, Robert E., Mexican War, 552. 

Civil War, 560, 561, 564, 566. 
Leed's Castle, Siege of (1322), 158. 
Lefevre, Pierre, 370. 
Legend of Montrose, A, 285. 
Legend of Reading Abbey, A, 
138, 139. 



LEGGE, CLAYTON M., 337. 

Highland Mary, 337. 
Leicester, Earl of, 272, 273. 
LEIGHTON, ROBERT, 275. 

Kidnapped Regiment, The, 325. 

Under the Foeman's Flag, 275. 
Leila, 248. 

Leipzig, Battle of (1813), 448-450. 
Leisler, Jacob, Rebellion of (1689), 

490, 491. 
Leixlip Castle, 308. 
Lemnian, The, 37. 
Lennox, Lady Sarah, 345. 
LE NOTRE, G., 433. 

The House of Combray, 433. 
Leo X, Pope, 241. 
Leo XI, Pope, 241. 
Leo of Mediolanum, 94. 
Leon, Ponce de, 479. 
Leonidas, The Spartan, 31, 35, 36. 
Leonora d'Orco, 624. 
Leopard's Spots, The, 570. 
Lepanto, Battle of (1571), 642. 
Leslie, David, 285, 290, 294. 
LESLIE, EMMA, 74. 

At the Sign of the Golden 
Fleece 255. 

Faithful,' But' Not Famous, 370. 

Glaucia: The Greek Slave, 74. 

On the Emperor's Service, 93. 

Saxby, 485. 
Les Miserables, 452. 
Lest We Forget, 267. 
Lettres de Cachet, 401, 405. 
Leuthen, Battle of (1757), 613. 
LEVER, CHARLES, 342. 

Charles O'Malley, 443. 

Maurice Tiernay, 342. 

Tom Burke of Ours, 438. 
Lewes, Battle of (1264), 150, 151. 
LEWIS, ARTHUR, 167. 

The Pilgrim, 167. 
Lexington, Battle of (1775), 502. 
Leydon, Siege of (1573), 658-661. 
Liaoyang, Battle of (1904), 686, 

687. 
Liege, Siege and Capture of 

(1703), 311. 
Liegnitz, Battle of (1760), 311. 
Liegnitz, Battle of (1760), 613. 
Life and Adventures of John 

Marston Hall, 392. 
Ligny, Battle of (1815), 451. 
Like Another Helen, 329. 
LIL JENCRANTZ, OTTILIE A, 
128. 

The Ward of King Canute, 128. 
Lily of France, A, 654. 



724 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



Limerick, Siege of (1691), 307, 

308. 
Lincoln, Abraham, 557-567. 

Emancipation P r o c 1 a m ation, 

560. 
Lincoln-Douglas Debates, The, 

554. 
Lindisfarne, 109. 
Lion of Flanders, The, 200. 
Lion of the North, The, 607. 
Lion of Wessex, A, 125. 
Lionel Lincoln, 504. 
Lion's Brood, The, 50. 
Lion's Skin, The, 321. 
Lippi, Fra Filippo, 239, 242. 
Little Jarvis, 530. 
Little Smoke, 571. 
Little Turtle, Indian Chief, 529. 
Little Union Scout, A, 562. 
Livy, Roman Historian, 63. 
Llewellyn, Prince of Wales, 152, 

153. 
Lochlevin Castle, 271. 
LOCKHART, JOHN GIBSON, 

83. 
Valerius, 83. 
Lodi, Battle of (1796), 427. 
Lollards, The, Followers of Wy- 

cliffe, 179. 184. 
Lombards, The, 114. 
Lommond, Loch, Scotland, 318. 
London, Destroyed by Boadicea 

(A. D. 61), 76. 
Fire of (1666). 298. 314. 
Plague of (1665), 298. 
Portrayed, 314. 
Londonderry, Siege of (1689), 306, 

307. 
Lone Adventure, The, 327. 
Lonely Queen, The, 269. 
Long Island, Battle of (1776) 

508, 509. 
Long Roll, The, 560. 
Long Will, 181. 
Longfellow, Henry W., 
The Midnight Ride of Paul Re- 
vere, 505. 
Sail On, O Ship of State, 528. 
Evangeline, 588. 
Longuerville, Duchess of, 394. 
Lookout Mountain, Battle of 

(1863), 562. 
Lord of Dynevor, The, 152. 
Lord's of the World, 51. 
Lorraine, Cardinal of, 378. 
Lost Column, The, 685. 
Lost Empire, The, 343, 428. 
Lough Swilly, Battle of (1798), 

341, 342. 



Louis, Count of Flanders, 201. 
Louis of Nassau, 658, 659. 
Louis the German, 116. 
Louis the Great, King of Hungary 

196. 
Louis the Pious, 116. 
Louis VII, King of France, 117, 

118, 162. 
Louis IX, King of France, 151, 

152, 160. 
Louis XI, King of France, 219, 

231-236. 
Louis XII, King of France, 255. 
Louis XIII, King of France, 384- 

390. 
Louis XIV, King of France, 
Government Under Mazarin, 

392. 
Personal Reign of Louis. 395. 
War With Spanish Netherlands, 

397. 
War With Dutch Republic, 397, 

398. 
War With Several States, 397. 
War of Spanish Succession, 397. 
Period of Decline, 399. 
Persecution of Protestants, 400, 

401. 
Golden Age of Literature, 404. 
Louis XV, 405-409. 
Louis XVI, 409-420. 

Prior to the Revolution, 409-420. 
The Revolution, 413-420, 422. 
Louis XVII, 426. 
Louis XVIII, 450-456. 
Louis Philippe, 456-460. 
Louisiana, Purchase of, 532, 534. 
Louvois, Marquis of, 398, 402. 
Lovat, Simon Fraser, 326-328. 
Love and Honor, 438. 
Love At Arms, 627. 
Love Is Life, 402. 
Love Story of Giraldus, The, 140. 
Love Story of St. Bel, The, 198. 
Love Thrives in War, 536. 
Lovel, Francis, 223. 
Lowell, James Russell, 

Commemoration Ode, 567. 
Lowell, Robert S. 

The Relief of Lucknow, 366. 
Lowestaft, Battle of (1665), 297. 
Lowositz, Battle of (1756), 613. 
LUCAS, ANNIE, 208. 

Wenzel's Inheritance, 208. 
Luchana, Battle of (1836), 645. 
Lucknow, Siege and Relief of 

(1857), 366. 367. 
Lucrezia, Mistress of Lippi, 239. 
Lucy Arden, 319. 



INDEX 



725 



Luddite Riots (England, 1811- 

1816), 349. 
LUDLOW, J. M., 210. 

Captain of the Janizaries, The, 
211. 

Sir Raoul, 210. 
Lusignan, House of, 242. 
Luther, Martin, 600-604, 627, 652. 
Lutzen, Battle of, 448, 608, 609. 
Luynes, Charles d'Albert de, 385, 

386. 
LYALL, EDNA, 284. 

In Spite of All, 284. 
Lyconia, 70. 
LYND, ROBERT (See Black, 

Ladbroke). 
LYNN, ESCOTT, 224. 

Blair of Balaclava, 361. 

Under the Red Rose, 224. 
Lyons, Council of, 205, 206. 
Lysander, Spartan General, 41. 



M 



Macaulay, Thomas B, 

The Armada, 277. 
Macaulay, Zachary, 340. 
McAULAY, ALLAN, 328. 

Poor Sons of a Day, 328. 
MACBRIDE, MACKENZIE, 109. 

King Penda's Captain, 109. 

McCarthy, justin h., 171. 

God of Love, The, 171. 
Gorgeous Borgia, The, 626. 
Macdonald, Flora, 327, 407. 

McDonnell, randal, 308. 

Kathleen Mavourneen, 341. 

My Sword For Patrick Sars- 
field, 308. 
McDowell, General Irving, 558. 
Macedonia, 43. 
MacFARLANE, CHARLES, 133. 

Camp of Refuge, The, 133. 

Legend of Reading Abbey, A, 
138, 139. 
Machpelah, Cave of, (Hebron), 10. 
MacKENZIE, WILLIAM C, 
349. 

The Shira, 349. 
McKenzie, William L., Revolution 

of, (1837), 593. 
MACKIE, JOHN, 595. 

The Prodigal's Brother, 595. 
McKinley Tariff Bill, 572. 
MacLEAN, NORMAN, 328. 

Hills of Home, 328. 
McClellan, George B, 

Mexican War, 552. 

Civil War, 558, 561. 



MacMahon, General of Napoleon 

III, 467-469. 
McMANUS, MISS L., 308. 

In Sarsfield's Days, 308. 

Lally of the Brigade, 632. 
MacMANUS, SEUMAS, 355. 

A Lad of the O'Friels', 355. 
MacMILLAR, JUDE, 577. 

A Random Shaft, 577. 
McNEIL, EVERETT, 551. 

Fighting With Fremont, 551. 
MacQUOID, KATHERINE S., 
372 

A Ward of the King, 372. 
Madame Threse, 428. 
Madamscourt, 320. 
Mademoiselle Mori, 636. 
MADISON, MRS. LUCY, 488. 

A Maid of Salem Towne, 488. 
Maestricht, Siege of, 398. 
Mafeking, Transvaal, Siege and 

Relief of, 692. 
Mafia, The, of Sicily, 631, 639. 
Magada, The, 246. 
Magdalene, Mary, 66, 69. 
Magdeburg, Siege of (1631), 608. 
Magersfontein, Battle of (1899), 

693. 
Magna Charta, The (1215), 146, 

147, 508. 
Mahratta War (India, 1803-18), 

343. 
Maid Margaret of Galloway, 192. 
Maid of Brittany, A, 236. 
Maid of London Bridge, The, 261. 
Maid of Maiden Lane, The, 529. 
Maid of Old New York, The, 490. 
Maid of the Malverns, A, 276. 
Maid of Salem Towne, The, 488. 
Maida, Battle of, 439. 
Maids of Paradise, The, 467. 
Maine, The, American Battleship, 

575. 
Maintenon, Marquise de, 400, 401. 
Maipo, Battle of (1818), 544. 
MAJOR, CHARLES, 234. 

Touchstone, The, 296. 

When Knighthood Was in 
Flower, 254. 

Yolando, Maid of Burgundy, 
234. 
Majuba Hill, Battle of (1881), 691. 
Making of Christopher Ferring- 

ham, The, 487. 
Malaga, Battle of (1704), 310. 
Malcolm III, King of Scotland, 

134. 
Maldon, Battle of, 128. 
Malory, Sir Thomas, 104, 105. 



726 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



Malplaquet, Battle of, (1709), 313. 

Malta, Island of, 628. 

Malthace, Wife of Herod the 

Great, 67. 
Man At Arms, The, 378. 
Man, Isle of, 300. 
Man of the People, A, 460. 
Manchester, England, 
Massacre of, 350. 
Taken by the Young Pretender, 

327. 
Manephtha, 10. 

Manetho, An Egyptian Priest, 4. 
Manfred, Emperor of Germany, 

170. 
Manila, Battle of (1898), 576. 
Mannheim, Baden, 615. 
MANNING, ANNIE, 628. 

The Commentaries of Ser Pan- 

taleone, 628. 
Man's Foes, A, 306. 
Mansfield, Lord, 340. 
Mantle of the Emperor, The, 459. 
MANZONI, ALESSANDRO, 631. 

The Betrothed, 631. 
Map, Walter, Archdeacon, 141. 
Mar, Earl of, 317, 320. 
Marat, Jean Paul, 420. 
Marathon, Battle of (B. C. 490), 

31, 35-37. 
Marceau, Francois, 420. 
Marching Against the Iroquois, 

514. 
Marching On Niagara, 496. 
Marco Visconti, 172. 
Marcomanni, The, 87. 
Marcus and Faustina, 87. 
Marcus, the Young Centurion, 59. 
Marengo, Battle of (1800), 432. 
Margaret Ballentine, 548. 
Margaret of York, 229. 
Margaret, Regent of the Nether- 
lands, 654-656. 
Margaret, Wife of Henry VI, 215- 

217. 
Marguerite de Roberval, 581. 
Marguerite de Valois, 380. 
Marguerite of Valois, 380. 
MARGUERITE, PAUL and VIC- 

TOR, 468. 
The Disaster, 468. 
Maria Louisa, Wife of Napoleon, 

445, 446, 450. 
Maria Therese, of Austria, 330, 

612, 675. 
Marie Antoinette, 408-410, 421, 

422. 
Marie Antoinette and Her Son, 

422. 



Marienburg, Battle of (1702), 672. 
Marignano, Battle of (1515), 369, 

371, 604, 627. 
Marion, Wife of William Wallace. 

154. 
Marius the Epicurean, 87. 
Mark of the Cross, The, 674. 
Marlborough, Duchess of (see 

Jennings, Sarah). 
Marlborough, Duke of (see 

Churchill, John). 
Marlowe, Christopher, 276. 
Marot, Clement, 373. 
MARQUIS, THOMAS G., 581. 
Marguerite de Roberval, 581. 
Marriage Under the Terror, A, 

425. 
Mars Hill, Athens, Paul's sermon 

on, 74, 75. 
Marseillaise, The, 417, 423. 
Marseilles, Plague of (1720). 406. 
MARSHALL, EMMA, 92. 

No. XIII. The Story of the 

Lost Vestal, 92. 
Under the Dome of St. Paul's, 
314. 
Marshall, William (Earl of Pem- 
broke), 148, 150. 
Marston Moor, Battle of (1644), 

284. 
Martel, Charles, 113. 
Martial, Roman writer, 82. 
Martinea, Battle of (B. C. 362), 40. 
MARTINEAU, HARRIET, 433. 

The Hour and the Man. 433. 
Mary of Burgundy, 200, 232, 234. 
Mary, Wife of William Prince of 

Orange, 299, 305. 
Mary, Queen of England, 262-267. 
Mary, Queen of Scots, 

Birth and Parentage, 260, 373. 
Wife of Francis 11.269. 
Wife of Lord Darnley, 269. 
Wife of the Earl of Bothwell, 

270. 
Prisoner in Lochlevin Castle, 

271. 
Prisoner of Queen Elizabeth, 

271, 273. 
The Babington Conspiracy, 273, 

274. 
Beheaded at Fotheringay, 274. 
Masaccio, Tommaso, 239. 
Masada, Fortress of, 78. 
Masaniello, Insurrection of in 

Naples (1646), 632. 
Masham, Lady Abigail, 316. 
MASON, A. E. W., 320. 
Clementina, 320. 



INDEX 



727 



MASON, CAROLINE A., 70. 

Lily of France, A, 654. 

White Shield, The, 70. 
Massena, Andrea, 431, 432, 442. 
Master of the Strong Hearts, 571. 
Masters of the World, 81. 
Mather, Rev. Cotton, 488. 
MATHEW, FRANK, 262. 

One Queen Triumphant, 274. 

Royal Sister, The, 262. 
Matilda, Wife of Henry I., 136- 

139. 
MATURIN, C. R., 120. 

The Albigenses, 120. 
MAUGHAM, H. N., 241. 

Richard Hawkwood, 241. 
Maurice of Saxony, 605. 
Maurice, Son of William of 

Orange, 662. 
Maurice Tiernay, 342. 
Mawkin of the Flow, The, 193. 
Maxentius, 91. 
Maximian, 89, 90. 
Maximiana, Flavia, 90. 
Maximilian I, Emperor of Ger- 
many, 600. 
MAXWELL, HERBERT E., 96. 

Chevalier of the Splendid Crest, 
The, 157. 

Duke of Britain, A, 96. 
Mayence, Archbishop of, 602. 
Mayenne, Charles de Lorraine, 

384. 
Mayor of Troy, The, 347. 
Mazarin, Cardinal Jules, 392-395. 
Mazeppa, Leader of the Cossack 

revolt (1709), 671, 672. 
Mazzini, Giuseppe, 635. 
Meade, George G., 

Mexican War, 552. 

Civil War, 561. 
MEAKIN, NEVILL M., 164. 

The Assassins, 164. 
Medici, Family, 194. 

Catherine de, 241, 374-378, 381. 

Ferdinand (Cardinal), 629, 630. 

Francesco, 629, 630. 

Giuliano de, 241. 

Lorenzo de, 241, 621, 622. 

Maria de, 241, 380, 383, 385. 
Meeting of the Ways, The, 93. 
Melanchthon, Philip, 605. 
Melrose Abbey, 155. 
MELVILLE, GEORGE JOHN 
WHITE, 24. 

Gladiators, The, 77. 

Holmby House, 287. 

Interpreter, The, 361. 



Queen's Maries, The, 269. 

Sarchedon, 24. 
Memoirs of a Physician, 409. 
Memphis, Fall of, 29. 
Men of Harlech, The, 217. 
Men of the Moss Hags, The, 302. 
Menendez, Spanish Governor of 

Florida, 481. 
Menes, Egyptian King, 9. 
Menotah, 595. 
Mercedes of Castile, 244. 
MERCHANT, BESSIE, 268. 

In Perilous Times, 268. 
MEREDITH, GEORGE, 618. 

Tragic Comedians, The, 618. 

Vittoria, 635. 
Merivale, 62. 

Merovingian Dynasty, 113. 
Merrimac, The, Confederate Iron- 
clad, 558, 559. 
MERRIMAN, HENRY S., 448. 

Barlasch of the Guard, 448. 

In Kedar's Tents, 648. 

Velvet Glove, The, 649. 

Vultures, The, 682. 
Merry Heart, A, 306. 
Mesmer, Friedrich, 411. 
Messenger, The, 325. 
Methuen, Lord (Boer War), 693. 
Metternich, Clemens Wenzel, 617. 
Metz, Siege and fall of (1870), 

468, 469, 472. 
Mexican War, The (1846), 450- 

452. 
Mexico, Entered by Cortez, 479. 
Micah Clarke, 303. 
Michelangelo, 197, 621. 
Midshipman Farragut, 540. 
Milan, Dukes of, 194. 

Bread Riots in, 639. 
Milazzo, Battle of (1860), 638. 
MILLER, ELIZABETH, 68. 

Saul of Tarsus, 68. 
MILLER, THOMAS, 142. 

Fair Rosamond, 142. 

Royston, Gower, 147. 
Milvian Bridge, Battle of the 

(313), 17, 91, 92. 
Minden, Battle of (1759), 330, 331, 

613. 
Minute Boys of Long Island, The, 

508. 
Mirabeau, Honore, 419. 
Missionary Ridge, Battle of 

(1863), 562. 
Mississippi Bubble (1717-1720), 

406. 
Mississippi, The, 585, 586. 
Missouri Compromise (1822), 543. 



728 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



Mistletoe, Held in Veneration by 

the Druids, 71, 72. 
Mistress Dorothy Marvin, 306. 
MITCHELL, MRS. E. H., 135. 

The King's Stirrup, 135. 
MITCHELL, SILAS WEIR, 563. 

Roland Blake, 563. 
Mithridates, King of Pontus, 56, 

57. 
Mithridatic War, Third (B. C. 74- 

65), 57. 
Mohammed II, 209, 211-213. 
Mohammed IV, 612. 
Mohammedans, The, 159-161. 
Molay, Grand Master of the 

Templars, 122. 
Moliere (Jean Baptiste Poquelin), 

396, 398, 404. 
Molino del Rey, Battle of (1847), 

552. 
Mollwitz, Battle of (1741), 612. 
Moltke, Helmuth von, 619. 
Mompesson, Sir Giles, 282. 
Monsteries, Suppression of, 257. 
Monastery, The, 263. 
Moncontour, Battle of (1569), 378, 

379. 
Mongols, The, 666. 
Monica, Mother of St. Augustine, 

93, 94. 
Monitor, The, Union Warship, 

559. 
Monk, George, 292, 294. 
Monk of Fife, A, 187. 
Monmouth, Battle of (1778), 312, 

513. 
Monmouth, Rebellion (1685), 303, 

304. 
Monomotapa, African Chief, 688. 
Monroe Doctrine, The, 543. 
Monroe, President James, 543-545. 
MONROE, KIRK, 479. 
Through Swamp and Glade, 548. 
White Conquerors of Mexico, 

The, 479. 
Mons, Seizure of (1572), 659. 
Monsieur de Paris, 423. 
Montague, Lady Mary Wortley, 

317. 
Montcalm, Louis Joseph de, 495, 

496, 589. 
Montecuccoli, Battle of (1664), 

612. 
Montespan, Francoise, 397. 400. 
Montesquieu, Charles di, 404, 415. 
Montfort, Simon de, 119, 121. 
Montfort, Simon de, Jr., 149-151. 
Montgomery, Count of, 374, 375. 



MONTGOMERY, KATHLEEN 
and LETITIA, 326. 

Cardinal's Pawn, The, 629. 

Colonel Kate, 326. 

Gate Openers, The, 355. 
Montgomery, Richard, American 

General, 506. 
Montmorency, Henry, 389. 
Montpelier, Treaty of, 388. 
Montpensier, Duke of, 652. 
Montreal, Capture of (1775), 506. 
Montrose, Duke of, 318. 
Montrose, James Graham, Earl of, 

285. 
Mookerheide, Battle of, 659. 
MOORE, DOROTHEA, 319. 

Under the Wolf's Fell, 319. 
MOORE, F. FRANKFORT, 289. 

Castle Omeragh, 289. 

Messenger, The, 325. 
Moore, Sir John, 348, 441. 
MOORE, THOMAS, 16. 

The Epicurean, 16. 
Moors, The, of Spain, 244, 246, 

248. 
MORAN, J. J., 362. 

The Dunferry Risin', 362. 
Morat, Battle of (1476), 234. 
Moravian Church, The, 207. 
Mordecai (Book of Esther), 32. 
More, Thomas, 256. 
Moreau, Jean Victor, 431, 432. 
Morgan, Daniel, American Gener- 
al, 511, 520. 
MORGAN, GEORGE, 553. 

The Issue, 553. 
Morgan's Men, 520. 
Moriah, Mt. Jerusalem, 78. 
Morisco Rebellion, The, (1568-70), 

642. 
Mormon Church, 546, 547. 
Mormon Prophet, The, 546. 
Mortimer, Lord Roger, 156, 153. 
Morton, Bishop of Ely, 224. 
Moscow, 448. 
Moscow, Napoleon's Invasion of. 

447, 448. 
Most Famous Loba, The, 121. 
Montezuma, Aztec Emperor of 

Mexico, 479. 
Motte, Jean de la, 411. 
Mountjoy, William, 306, 307. 
Mr. Salt, 573. 
MUDDOCK, JOYCE E„ 220. 

Basil the Jester, 269. 

For the White Cockade, 328. 

In the King's Favor, 259. 

Jane Shore, 220. 

Scarlet Seal, The, 623. 



INDEX 



729 



MUHLBACH, LOUISE, 422. 

Andreas Hofer, 444. 

Goethe and Schiller, 614. 

Marie Antoinette and Her Son, 
433. 

Napoleon and Blucher, 437, 445, 
450. 
Muhlberg, Battle of (1547), 605. 
Mukden, Battle of (1904), 686,687. 
Munich, Field Marshal, 674, 675. 
Munster, Peace of, (1648), 663. 
MURPHY, JAMES, 342. 

House in the Rath, The, 342. 

Shan Van Vocht, The, 342. 
Mutiny Act, The, 341. 
Mutiny, The Indian (1857-8), 365- 

367. 
Muza, Moorish General, 248. 
My Lady Laughter, 505. 
My Lady of Intrigue, 386. 
My Lady of the North, 564. 
My Lady Pokahontas, 482. 
My Lady's Kiss, 610. 
My Sword for Patrick Sarsfield, 

308. 
My Sword's My Fortune, 393. 
Mycale, Battle of (B. C. 479), 35. 
Mysore War, The (1767), 337. 
Mysteries of Marseilles, The, 460. 
Mysterious Monsieur Dupont, 
The, 424. 



N 



Nabonidus, King of Babylon, 27. 
Nabopolassar, King of Babylon, 

27. 
Nain, Son of the widow of, 66. 
Nancy, Battle of (1477), 232, 234, 

235. 
Nantes, 
Edict of revoked, (1685), 400- 

402. 
Peace of (1598), 383. 
Reign of Terror in, 421, 425. 
Vendean Insurrection, 420. 
Nantwick, Battle of, 294. 
Napoleon I (see Bonaparte, Na- 
poleon). 
Napoleon and Blucher, 437, 445, 

450. 
Napoleon, III, 
Attempt to capture Strassburg 

and Boulogne, 459. 
Imprisonment in Ham, 459, 463. 
President of the French Repub- 
lic, 460. 
Second Empire. Napoleon III, 
461, 463, 464. 



Franco-German War, The 

Cause, 465. 
The Contestants, 466. 
The Struggle, 467-472. 
Refuge in England, 472. 
Narcissus, 14. 
Narishkina, Nathalia, Mother of 

Peter the Great, 670. 
Narses, General of Justinian, 100, 

102. 
Naseby, Battle of (1645), 284. 
Nash, Beau, 317. 
Nathalia, 670. 

Nashville, Battle of (1864), 565. 
National League, Irish, 363. 
Nauvoo, 111., Founded by the 

Mormons, 547. 
Nazareth, Home life of Jesus in, 

65. 
Neaera, 65. 
NEALE, J. M., 52. 

The Farm of Apotonga, 52. 
Near the Tsar, Near Death, 673. 
Nebuchadnezzar, King of Baby- 
lon, 27. 
Nectan, King of the Picts, 109. 
Necker, Jacques, Minister of Louis 

XVI, 410. 
Necklace, The Diamond, 411. 
Nehemiah, Book of, 30. 
Nelson, Lord Horatio, 344, 345, 

347, 427. 
Nelson, Dr. Wolfred, 592, 593. 
Nennius, Historian, 103, 104. 
Neo-Platonism, 18-20. 
Nero, 75. 

Nero, Emperor, 65, 69, 72-76. 
Burning of Rome, 71-73, 76. 
Persecution of Christians, 71, 

73, S8. 
Crimes of, 75. 
Death of, 75, 76. 
Nerva, Emperor, 82. 
Nest of Royalists, A, 458. 
Neville, Anne, Wife of Richard 

III, 222. 
Neville, Margaret, Wife of Lord 

Hastings, 222. 
Neville, Richard (see Warwick, 

Earl of). 
Neville's Cross, Battle of (1346), 

176, 189. 
New England Maid, A, 523. 
New Forest (Death of William 

Rufus), 135. 
New London, Raided by Benedict 

Arnold, 524. 
New Orleans, Battle of (1815), 

541. 



730 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



New York, City of, 489. 
Newgate Prison, London, 334, 

336. 
NEWMAN, CARDINAL JOHN 

HENRY, 53. 
Callista, 53. 
New Ross, Battle of (1799), 342. 
Nicaea, 160, 209. 

Council of (325), 94. 
Nicene Creed, The, 94. 
Nicholas I, Czar of Russia, 680, 

681. 
Nicias, Opponent of Alcibiades, 

38, 39, 41. 
Nicole, 417. 
Nieuport, Battle of (1600), 662, 

663. 
Nightingale, Florence, 361. 
Nihilism, Russian, 681, 682. 
Nika Insurrection, 101. 
Nile, Battle of the (1798), 345. 
Ninety-Three, 420. 
Nineveh, Capital of Assyria, 22- 

24. 
Ninus, Mythical founder of As- 
syria, 23, 24. 
No Cross, No Crown, 262. 
No Surrender, 420. 
Noank's Log, The, 518. 
NOEL, HUGH, 408. 

The Hand of Leonore, 408. 
Noemi, 188. 
Norah Moriarty, 363. 
Nordlingen, Battle of (1634), 608. 
Nore Mutiny, The (1797), 344, 

345. 
North German Confederation 

(1866-70), 616. 
North, Lord Frederick, 333. 
Northampton, Battle of, 216. 
Northampton, Marquis of, 261. 
Northwest Fur Company, The, 

590, 591. 
Notre Dame Cathedral, 235. 
Notre Dame de Paris, 235. 
Notre, G Le, 422. 
Nottingham, Earl of, 183. 
Novantia (Galloway), 96. 
Noyades (Reign of Terror), 421. 
Nullification Movement, The, 546. 
Nuremberg, Bavaria, 609, 610. 
Numidia (Third Punic War), 50. 
No. XIII, 92. 



Oates, Titus, 298, 305. 
O'Brien, Smith, Revolt of (1847), 
356, 357, 362. 



O'BYRNE, MISS M. L., 308. 

Leixlip Castle, 308. 
O'Connell, Daniel, 355, 356. 
Octavia, Wife of Nero, 75, 76. 
Octavius (Augustus), 61. 
Odierna, Wife of Raymond I, 118. 
Odo, 134. 
Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, Leader of 

the Barons, 134. 
Odoacer, King of Italy, 102. 
Offa, King of Mercia, 92, 106. 
Oglethorpe, General James, 492, 

493. 
Olaf, King of Norway, 128. 
Old Margaret, 202. 
Old Mortality, 301. 
Old St. Paul's, 298. 
Oldcastle, Sir John, 184, 207, 208. 
Olympian Games, 36. 
On Guard, 520. 

On the Emperor's Service, 93. 
On the Face of the Waters, 366. 
On the Knees of the Gods, 42. 
On the Old Kearsarge, 563. 
On the Red Staircase, 671. _ 
On to Pekin, 685. 
One Crowded Hour, 637. 
One in a Thousand, 383. 
One of the Red Shirts, 638. 
One Queen Triumphant, 274. 
Onesiphorus, Companion of St. 

Paul, 70, 71. 
OPENSHAW, MARY, 439. 

The Cross of Honor, 439. 
Orange and Green, 308. 
ORCUTT, WILLIAM D., 462. 

Flower of Destiny, The, 462. 

Robert Cavalier, 585. 
ORCZY, BARONESS, 407. 

Elusive Pimpernel, The, 426. 

Petticoat Government, 407. 
Order of Release, The, 408. 
Orestes, Prefect of Alexandria, 

20. 
Oregon County Dispute (1844). 

550, 552. 
Orientalism, 23, 26. 
Orkney Islands, 71, 126. 
Orleans, Siege of (France 1428), 

186. 
Orlov, Alexis, lover of Catherine 

II, 677-680. 
ORMEROD, FRANK, 325. 

The Two-Handed Sword, 325. 
Ormonde, James Butler, Duke of, 

294, 300, 311, 320. 
Orrain, 376. 

Orsini, Family of (Italy), 195. 
Orthes, Battle of (1814), 442. 



INDEX 



731 



OSBORNE, DUFFIELD, 50. 

The Lion's Brood, 50. 
Osiris, 8. 
Ostend, Siege of (1601-1604), 662, 

663. 
Ostrogoths, Kingdom of the, 100- 

102. 
Oswald, Prince of Northumbria, 

108, 109. 
Otto I, Emperor of Germany, 166. 
Otto III, of Germany, 166, 167. 
Ottocar II, of Bohemia, 206. 
Oudenarde, Battle of (1708), 312, 

404. 
Our Lady of Deliverance, 473. 
Out with Garibaldi, 638. 
Ovid, 63. 
OXENHAM, JOHN, 359. 

Coil of Carne, The, 359. 

Great Heart Gillian, 470. 

John of Gerisau, 619. 

Our Lady of Deliverance, 473. 

Under the Iron Flail, 472. 
Oxford, Provisions of (1258), 150. 



Pabo the Priest, 136. 

Padilla, Dona Maria, 178. 

Paez, Jose Antonia, 545. 

Page of the Duke of Savoy, The, 

375 
PAGE,THOMAS N., 568. 

Red Rock, 568. 
Palace of Danger, The, 408. 
Palafax, Joseph, hero of Saragossa 

(1808), 441. 
Palaeologi, Dynasty of, 209. 
Palaeologus, Constantine, 212-214. 
Palaeologus, Michael, 209. 
Palatinate, The, 398, 607. 
Palestine, 30, 44, 77, 162, 164. 
PALGRAVE, MARY E., 304. 

Deb Clavel, 304. 
Palo Alto, Battle of (1846), 551. 
Pamphilia, 70. 

Pan American Congress, The, 572. 
Panics, Financial (1837), 548; 

(1873), 570; (1893), 574. 
Panormus, Battle of, 47. 
Papineau, Louis, rebellion of, 592, 

593. 
Pappenheim, Gottfried, 609. 
Paris, 175. 

Captured by Henry of Navarre 
(1589), 383, 384. 

Siege of, Franco-German War 
(1870), 471, 472. 
Paris at Bay, 472. 



PARKER, SIR GILBERT, 587. 

Pomp of the Lavilettes, The, 
591. 

Seats of the Mighty, The, 589. 

Trail of the Sword, The, 587. 
Parker, Theodore, 555. 
Parliament, English, 

Long, 283. 

Rump, 288. 
Parma, Duke of, 661. 
Parnell, Charles S., 363. 
PARRISH, GEORGE RAN- 
DALL, 498. 

Bob Hampton of Placer, 571. 

My Lady of the North, 564. 

Sword of the Old Frontier, A, 
498. 

When Wilderness was King, 
536. 
Parthians, The, 87. 
Pascal, Blaise, 404. 
Passe Rose, 114. 
Passover, The Jewish, 114. 
PATER, WALTER, 87. 

Marius the Epicurean, 87. 
Paterson, Robert ("Old Mortal- 
ity"), 302. 
Pathfinders of the Revolution, 

The, 513. 
Patricia at the Inn, 291. 
Patriot and Tory, 512. 
Patriots, The, 566. 
PATTON, JAMES B„ 325. 

The Eveshams, 325. 
Paul I, Czar of Russia, 679, 680. 
Paulinus, Bishop of York, 108. 
Pausanias, 31, 35, 37. 
Pausanias the Spartan, 37. 
Pavia, Battle of (1525), 369, 372, 

604, 627. 
Pawn in the Game, A, 427. 
PAYNE, WILL, 573. 

Mr. Salt, 573. 
Pazzi, The, 241, 242. 
PEARD, FRANCES M., 292. 

Scrapegrace Dick, 292. 
Peasant's War, The (Germany, 

1524-25), 598, 604, 605. 
Pedro, King of Castile, 178. 
Pekin, China, relief of, 685. 
Peloponnesian War (B. C. 431- 

404), 40. 
Pelusium, Battle of (B. C. 525), 

29. 
PEMBERTON, MAX, 467. 

Garden of Swords, The, 467. 

Virgin Fortress, The, 469. 
Penda, King of Mercia, 106, 108, 
109. 



732 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



Peninsular War, The (1808-1814), 

348, 440-444, 447. 
Penn, William, 293. 
Penruddock, Colonel, 293, 294. 
Penruddock of the White Lambs, 

293. 
Pepin the Short, 113. 
PEPLE, EDWARD HENRY, 24. 

Semiramis, 24. 
Pequots, Indian tribe, 486. 
Percy, Sir Ralph, 218. 
Pericles, 38-40. 
Pericles and Aspasia, 39. 
Peril of the Sword, The, 367. 
Perry, Commodore Matthew, 683, 

684. 
Perry, Oliver H., 538, 539. 
Persepolis, Palace at, 26. 
Persian Wars, The, 35. 
Peru, Discovery and invasion of, 

480. 
Peter the Great, Czar, 670-673. 
Peter II, Czar, 674. 
Peter III, Czar, 675, 677-679. 
Peter the Hermit, 160. 
Peterborough, Earl of, 645, 646. 
Peterloo Massacre (Manchester, 

1819), 350. 
Petersburg, Battle of (1865), 566. 
Petition of Rights (1628), 283. 
Petrarch, Francisco, 197. 
Petronius, 73. 

Petticoat Government, 407. 
Peveril of the Peak, 299. 
Phalsbourg, Siege of, 449. 
Pharaoh and the Priest, The, 12. 
Pharnaces, Son of Mithridates, 58. 
Pharos, The, 13. 
Pharsalia, Battle of (B. C. 48), 58, 

59. 
Philadelphia, Taken by the Brit- 
ish (1777), 510, 513. 
Philibert, Emmanuel, 374, 375. 
Philip II, King of Macedonia, 143. 
Philip II (Augustus), of France, 

119, 120, 146, 162-164. 
Philip Augustus, 120. 
Philip IV, of France, 121, 122, 

173. 
Philip the Bold, 200, 231. 
Philip the Good, 185, 200, 202. 
Philip II, King of Spain, 274, 642, 

643, 655. 
Philip V, King of Spain, 644, 645. 
Philip Winwood, 507. 
Philiphaugh, Battle of (1645), 285. 
Philippa, Wife of Edward III, 

177. 



Philippi, Battle of (B. C. 42), 60, 

61. 
Philippines, The, 

Spanish tyranny in, 576. 

Battle of Manila, 576. 

Revolt of Aguinaldo, 577. 

Attack of San Mateo, 577. 
Philistia, 44. 
Phillips, Wendell, 

The Burial of John Brown, 556. 

Toussaint L'Ouverture, 434. 
Philostratus, Flavius, 81. 
Phips, William, Governor of Mas- 
sachusetts, 488, 587. 
PICKERING, EDGAR, 283. 

The Dogs of War, 283. 

In Press-Gang Days, 345. 
Picts, The, 90, 93, 96, 106. 
PIDGIN, CHARLES F., 533. 

Blennerhassett, 533. 
Pierre, Eustace de St., 177. 
Piers Plowman (Langland), 180, 

181. 
Pike, Zebulon, Explorations of, 

533, 534. 
Pilate, Pontius, 66, 67. 
Pilgrim's Progress, The (Bunyan), 

296. 
Pilgrim, The, 167. 
Pilot, The, 517. 
Pinkie Cleuch, Battle of (1547), 

263. 
Piso, Caius, Plot of, 81. 
Pitt, William, 331, 502. 
Pittsburgh, Pa., 332. 
Pizarro, Discoverer of Peru, 480, 

481. 
Plague of 1348 (Italy), 194. 
Plains of Abraham, Battle on the 

(1759), 496, 506, 589. 
Plataea, Battle of (B. C 479), 35, 

36. 
Plato, 38. 

Plebiscite, The, 466. 
Pliny (Younger), 83. 
Pliny (Elder), 80. 
Plotinus, 19. 

Plough of Shame, The, 627. 
Plutarch, 17. 
Plymouth Rock, 485. 
Pocahontas, 482, 483. 
Poitiers, Battle of (1356), 176, 

177. 
Poland, Insurrection of (1864), 
681. 

Third partition of, 679. 
Pole, Cardinal Reginald, 266, 267. 
Polemon II, Ruler of Pontus, 70. 



INDEX 



733 



Polk, President James K., 550- 

552. 
POLLARD, ELIZA F., 401. 

King's Signet, The, 401. 

Knights of Liberty, The, 455. 

New England Maid, A, 523. 

Roger the Ranger, 589. 

True Unto Death, 681. 
Pollock, Sir George, 364. 
Poltava, Battle of (1709), 672. 
Polybius, 46, 51. 

Pomp of the Lavilettes, The, 591. 
Pompadour, Jeanne Antoinette, 

405, 407, 408. 
Pompeii, Prior to Destruction of, 
81. 

Destroyed (A. D. 79), 80. 
Pompey, 

Defeats Mithridates, 56. 

Destroys Piracy, 56, 57. 

First Triumvirate, 58. 

Defeated by Caesar, 58. 
Pomponia, 71. 

Pontiac, Conspiracy of (1763), 498. 
Poor Sons of a Day, 328. 
Pope, Alexander, 317, 319. 
Popist Plot, The (1678), 298, 299, 

305. 
Poppaea, Wife of Nero, 71, 75, 76. 
Port Arthur, Battle of (1904), 686. 
Portau, Isaac de (Porthos), 387. 
Porteous, Captain, 322. 
Porteous Riot (1736), 322. 
Porter, Captain David, 539, 540. 
PORTER, JANE, 153. 

Scottish Chiefs, The, 153. 

Thaddeus of Warsaw, 679. 
PORTER, T. H., 276. 

A Maid of the Malverns, 276. 
Porthos (see Portau, Isaac de). 
Portinari, Beatrice, 171. 
Portsmouth, Treaty of, 687. 
POST, WALDRON K., 539. 

Smith Brunt, 539. 
Potidaea, Blockaded by Athens, 

40. 
POTTER, MARGARET HOR- 
TON, 28. 

Istar of Babylon, 28. 
POTTINGER, HENRY, 101. 

Blue and Green, 101. 
Pougachev (Pugatcheff), Cossack 

Rebel (1773), 678, 679. 
Powys-Land, Prince of, 143. 
POYNTER, H. MAY, 306. 

Madamscourt, 320. 

Merry Heart, A, 306. 
Prado, Cathedral of, 239, 



Prague, Retreat from, 406. 

Battle of, 613. 
PRATT, TINSLEY, 270. 

When Hawkins Sailed the Sea, 

270. 
President's Scouts, The, 572. 
Pressburg, Treaty of (1805), 436. 
Preston Pans, Battle of (1745), 

325-328. 
Pretender, Old (see Stuart, James 

Edward). 
Pretender, Young (see Stuart, 

Charles Edward). 
Pretoria, Taken by the British, 

693. 
PRICE, ELEANOR C, 216. 

The Queen's Man, 216. 
Priestess of Isis, The, 81. 
Prim, Juan, Revolution of in 

Spain (1868), 649, 650. 
Prince, Colonel (Revolution in 

Canada, 1837-38), 594. 
Prince of India, The, 212. 
Prince Rupert the Buccaneer, 291. 
Prince's Messenger, The, 660. 
Princes, The Young (sons of Ed- 
ward IV), 221. 
Prince's Valet, The, 328. 
Princeton, Battle of (1777), 510. 
PRIOR, JAMES, 349. 

Forest Folk, 349. 
Priscilla, Friend of St. Paul, 70. 
Prison System, English, 334, 359. 
Prisoner of Carisbrooke, The, 287. 
Privateering (American Revolu- 
tion), 518. 
Privy Seal: His Last Venture, 259. 
Probation, 361. 
Procopius, 101, 102. 
Procopius, Leader of the Hussites, 

207, 208. 
Prodicus, Sophistic Philosopher, 

38. 
Prodigal's Brother, The, 595. 
Promotion, The, 577. 
Protagoras, Sophistic Philosopher, 

38 
Protestant, The, 267. 
PROTHEROE, ERNEST, 291. 

Scouting for a King, 291. 
Prusias, 57. 
Prussia, Her Place in German 

History, 611, 616. 
Psammeticus I, 12. 
Psammeticus II, 29. 
Psyche, 65. 
Ptolemy I, 13, 17. 
Ptolemy II, 12, 13. 
Pudens, 76. 



734 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



Punic Wars, The, 47. 
Punjab, Revolt of the (1848), 365. 
Purchase Price, The, 556. 
Puritans The, 278, 293. 

Persecution of, 484, 486. 

Emigration to America, 485, 486. 

The Mayflower "Compact," 485. 

Plymouth Colony, 485. 
Purple Love, 299. 
PUSHKIN, ALEXANDER S., 
678. 

The Captain's Daughter, 678. 
Pyramids of Egypt, 4. 
Pythian Games, 36. 

Q 

Quakers, The, 293, 487. 
Quebec, 

Settlement of, 581. 

Battle of (1759), 496, 497, 589, 

590. 
Attacked by Montgomery and 

Arnold (1775), 506, 507. 
Attacked by Phips (1690), 587. 
Queen Anne's War (1702-13), 494. 
Queen of Nine Days, A, 264. 
Queen's Fillet, The, 417. 
Queen's Hostage, The, 276. 
Queen's Man, The, 216. 
Queen's Maries, The, 269. 
Queen's Necklace, The, 410. 
Queen's Tragedy, The, 266. 
Queenstown, Attack on (1812), 

537. 
Quentin Durward, 231. 
Quest of Glory, The, 406. 
Quest of the Four, The, 551. 
Quiberon, Battle of (1759), 329, 

495. 
Quiberon Touch, The, 495. 
QUILLER- COUCH, ARTHUR 

T., 347. 
The Mayor of Troy, 347. 
QUINBY, ALDEN W., 512. 

Valley Forge, 512. 
Quintus Cladius, 82. 
Quo Vadis, 73. 

R 
Rabelais, Francois, 373. 
Racine, Jean, 398. 
Reclawice, Battle of (1794), 679. 
Radisson, French Explorer, 584, 

585. 
Rain-in-the-Face, Sioux Chief, 571. 
Raleigh, Sir Walter, 273, 275, 281, 

282. 
RALLI, CONSTANTINE S., 691. 
The Strange Story of Falconer 

Thring, 691. 



Rameses II, 7, 10. 

Rameses, XIII, 12. 

Ramillies, Battle of (1706), 312. 

Ramnuggur, Battle of (1848), 365. 

Random Shaft, A, 577. 

Raoul, Gentleman of Fortune, 662. 

Raphael, Sanzio, 621. 

Ratcliffe, Richard, 223. 

Ratkow, Battle of (1806), 437. 

Ravensdale, 346. 

Rawdon, Lord, English General in 

America, 521. 
Raymond VI, of Toulouse, 119, 

121. 
Raymond I, of Tripoli, 118. 
RAYNER, EMMA, 490. 
Doris Kingsley, Child and 

Colonist, 492. 
In Castle and Colony, 490. 
Read, Thomas Buchanan, 

Sheridan's Ride, 567. 
READE, AMOS, 363. 

Norah Moriarty, 363. 
READE, CHARLES, 239. 

Cloister and the Hearth, The, 

239. 
It is Never Too Late to Mend, 

359. 
Reading Abbey, 138. 
Reason, Cult of (Reign of Terror), 

425. 
Rebecca Riots (Wales), 355. 
Reconstruction, American, 568- 

570. 
Red and White, 218. 
Red Bridal, A, 445. 
Red Caps of Lyons, The, 421. 
Red Chief, The, 514. 
Red Fleur-de-Lys, The, 416. 
Red Neighbor, The, 398. 
Red Patriot, The, 509. 
Red River Rebellion (1869), 595. 
Red Rock, 568. 
Red Saint, The, 151. 
Red Shirts, The, of Garibaldi, 637, 

638. 
Red White and Green, 618. 
Reds of the Midi, The, 417. 
REED, SARAH A., 542. 
A Romance of Arlington House, 

542. 
Reform Bill, English (1832), 351, 

352. 
Reformation, The, 

In England, 266-268, 293. 

In France, 370-374, 377-388, 400- 

403. 
In Germany, 

Significance of, 599. 



INDEX 



735 



Martin Luther, 600-604. 
Peasant's War, 604, 605. 
Augsburg Confession, 605. 
Smalcaldic League, 605. 
Thirty Years' War, 606-610. 
In Holland, 652-663. 
In Scotland, 262, 263, 269, 285. 
In Switzerland, 370. 
Remember the Almo, 547. 
Renaissance, The, 475, 599, 628. 
Renee, 371. 
Rennes, 175. 

Rensselaer, Solomon van, 537. 
Resaca de la Palma, Battle of 

(1846), 551. 
Resolutions, Virginia and Ken- 
tucky, 530. 
Revelation, Book of (Bible), 18. 
Revere, Paul, 505. 
Revolution of 1830, in France, 457. 
Revolution of 1848, 
In France, 457, 458, 460, 617. 
In Austria, 617, 618. 
In Italy, 635, 636. 
Revolution in Tanner's Lane, The, 

350. 
Revolutionary War in America, 
The Causes, 500-502. 
Battles, 
Bennington, American Victory, 

510. 
Brandywine, British Victory, 

510. 
Bunker Hill, British, 504. 
Camden, British, 520. 
Cowpens, American, 520. 
Eutaw Springs, Indecisive, 521, 

522. 
Guilford Court House, British, 

520, 521. 
Hobkirk's Hill, British, 521. 
King's Mountain, American, 520. 
Lexington and Concord, Ameri- 
can, 502. 
Long Island, British, 508, 509. 
Monmouth, American, 512, 513. 
Montreal, American, 506. 
Paul Jones Victory, American, 

516, 517. 
Princeton, American, 510. 
Quebec, British, 506, 507. 
Saratoga, American, 511, 512. 
Savannah, British, 519. 
Ticonderoga, American, 503. 
Trenton, American, 509. 
Yorktown, American, 524. 
Rhine, Confederation of the, 437. 



RHOSCOMYL, OWEN, 328. 
For the White Rose of Arno, 
328. 

Richard I, King of England, 119, 
143-145, 162-164. 

Richard II, 179-181. 

Richard III, 217, 220-226. 

Richard Carvel, 515. 

Richard Hawkwood, 241. 

Richard Yea-and-Nay, 144. 

RICHARDSON, JOHN, 498. 
Wacousta, 498. 

RICHARDSON, NORVAL, 560. 
The Heart of Hope, 560. 

Richelieu, Cardinal Armand Jean, 
385-390, 392. 

Richmond, Va. Confederate Capi- 
tal, 558, 562, 563, 566. 

Ridley, Nicholas, 257, 264, 265, 267. 

Ridolfo, 197. 

Riel, Louis, Rebellion of (1869 & 
1885), 595, 596. 

Rienzi, Cola di, 195. 

Rienzi, the Last of the Tribunes, 
195. 

Rivers, Earl (see Woodville, Rich- 
ard). 

Rizzio, David, 269. 

Rob Roy (see Campbell, Robert 
Macgregor). 

Rob Roy, 318. 

Robert Cavalier, 585. 

Robert Emmet, 345. 

Robert Helmont, 472. 

Robert of Flanders, 160. 

Robert of Normandy, 160. 

Robert II, King of Scotland, 189. 

Robert III, of Scotland, 189. 

Robert, Son of William the 
Conqueror, 133-136. 

ROBERTS, CHARLES G., 588. 
A Sister to Evangeline, 588. 

Roberts, Lord Frederick, 692. 

ROBERTS, MARGARET, 604. 
In the Olden Time, 604. 

ROBERTS, MARY, 636. 
Mademoiselle Mori, 636. 

ROBERTS, MORLEY, 693. 
Taken by Assault, 693. 

Roberval, Chevalier de, 582. 

Robespierre, Maximilien, 419-425. 

ROBINSON, EMMA, 257. 
Westminster Abbey, 257. 
Whitefriars, 298. 

Robinson, Rev. John, Puritan 
Leader, 485. 

Robsart, Amy (Wife of Lei- 
cester), 272. 

Rochejaquelein, Henri du la, 420. 



736 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



Rochelle, La, Siege of (1627), 280, 

379, 388. 
Roches, Pierre des, 149. 
Rochester Castle, 134. 
Rock of Chickamauga, The, 561, 

562, 565. 
Rock of the Lion, The, 335. 
Rocroi, Battle of (1643), 610. 
Roemer, Olaf, 404. 
Roger the Ranger, 589. 
Rohan, Cardinal de, 411. 
Rohan, Marie de, 387. 
Roland Blake, 563. 
Roland, Marie Jeanne, 422, 423. 
ROLFE, FREDERICK W., 627. 

Don Tarquinio, 627. 
Romance of Arlington House, A, 

542. 
Romance of Dollard, The, 583. 
Romance of Fra Lippo Lippi, The, 

238. 
Romance of the Charter Oak, 488. 
Romance of the Fountain, The, 

479. 
Romance of the Tuileries, A, 458. 
Rome, 

In Daniel's Prophecy, 54. 
Her Place in History, 54. 
Fall of the Republic, 61. 
Greatness of the Empire, 61. 
. Burning of, 71-73, 76, 79. 
Fall of the Empire, 98. 
Romola, 622. 

Roncesvalles, Pass of, 114, 115. 
Rooke, Sir George, 310, 311, 402. 
Roosevelt, Theodore, 576. 

The Indians of the Northwest, 
499. 
Rose Mervyn, 355. 
Rose of the Garden, 345. 
Rose-Spinner, The, 320. 
Rosebecque, Battle of (1382), 201, 

202. 
Rosecrans, General William S., 

562. 
Roses, Wars of the, 
Causes of, 215. 
Battles of, 225. 
Rosicrucians, Order of, 423. 
ROSS, CLINTON, 524. 
The Scarlet Coat, 524. 
Rossa, O'Donovan, 362. 
Rossbach, Battle of (1757), 408, 

413. 
Rougeville, Gonze de, 422. 
Rough Riders, The, 576. 
Round Table, King Arthur's, 103- 

105. 
Roundheads, The, 283. 



Rousseau, Jean Jacques, 404, 409, 

415. 
Rout of the Foreigner, The, 149. 
ROWSELL, MARY C, 423. 
Friend of the People, The, 425. 
Monsieur de Paris, 423. 
Roxy, 535. 
Roy, 348. 

Royal Pawn of Venice, The, 242. 
Royal Sisters, The, 262. 
Royston Gower, 147. 
Rubicon, Caesar Crossing the, 58, 

59. 
Rudel, Prince of Blaye, 118. 
Rudolph I (Hapsburg), 206. 
Rudolph of Rosenfeldt, 656. 
RUNKLE, MRS. BERTHA B., 
384. 
The Helmet of Navarre, 384. 
Runnymede, 146, 147. 
Runnymede and Lincoln Fair, 147. 
Rupert, Prince, 282, 284, 291. 
Ruskin, John, 322. 
Russell, Lord John, 351. 
RUSSELL, WILLIAM C, 347. 
The Yarn of Old Harbor Town, 
347. 
Russo-Japanese War (1904-5), 
Causes of, 685. 
Battles, 

Port Arthur, 686. 
Mukden, 686. 
Liaoyang, 686. 
Sea of Japan, 687. 
Treaty of Portsmouth, 687. 
Ruthven, Alexander, 277. 
Ruyter, Michael, Dutch Admiral, 

664. 
Rye House Plot, The (1683), 299, 

304. 
Ryswick, Peace of (1697), 404. 



Saarbruck, Battle of (1870), 467. 
SABATINI, RAFAEL, 304. 

Anthony Wilding, 304. 

Lion's Skin, The, 321. 

Love At Arms, 627. 
Sacheverell, Dr. Henry, 313. 
SADLIER, MRS. JAMES, 333. 

The Fate of Father Sheehy, 
233, 234. 
Sadoolapore, Battle of (1848), 365. 
Saguntum, Spain, 49. 
St. Alban, 92. 
St. Albans, 180. 

Battles of (1455), 216; (1461), 
217, 219. 



INDEX 



737 



St. Ambrose, 93, 94. 
St. Andrews, Scotland, 262. 
St. Augustine, Fla., 481, 493. 
St. Bartholomew, Massacre of 

(1572), 378-380, 659, 660. 
St. Bartholomew's Eve, 379. 
St. Bernard of Clairvaux, 118, 162. 
St. Catherine of Siena, 198. 
St. Clair, General, 529. 
St. Domingo, 309. 
St. Jerome, 255. 
St. John, 82, 83. 
St. John, Fort of, 582. 
St. Malo, Expedition Against, 332. 
St. Paul, 70-76, 86. 
St. Paul's Cathedral, 314. 
St. Peter, 73. 
St. Quentin, Battle of (1557), 266, 

374, 375. 
St. Stephen, 68, 69. 
St. Thekla, Legend of, 70, 71. 
Saladin, The Sultan, 144, 163, 164. 
Salamanca, Battle of (1812), 442, 

443. 
Salamis, Battle of (B. C. 480), 35- 

37. 
Salammbo, 48. 

Salem, Mass., Witchcraft in, 488. 
Salviati, Archbishop, 241. 
San Domingo, Republic of, 433. 
San Gabriel, Battle of, 551. 
San Jacinto, Battle of (1836), 548. 
San Juan Hill, Battle of (1898), 

576. 
San Martin, Josede, Argentine 

Patriot, 544. 
San Mateo, Attack on, 577. 
San Sebastian, Siege and Capture 

of (1813), 349, 442. 
San Stephano, Treaty of (1878), 

242. 
Sancho the Great, of Navarre, 244. 
Santa Cruz, Expedition Against, 

345. 
Santa Margherita, Nunnery of, 

239. 
Santiago, Cuba, Bombardment of, 

576. 
Naval Battle, 578. 
Sapor, King of Persia, 88. 
Saracens, The, 209. 

Defeated by Charles Martel 

(732), 113, 115. 
Defeated by Charlemagne, 114. 
Saragossa, Battle of (1808), 440- 

442. 
Saratoga, Battle of, 511, 512. 
Sarchedon, 24. 



Sardis, Destruction of (B. C. 500), 

35. 
Sarpi, Fra Paolo, 629. 
Sarsfield, Patrick, 307, 308, 403. 
Sassbach, Battle of (1675), 398. 
Sauchieburn, Battle of (1488), 228, 

259. 
Saul of Tarsus, 68, 69. 
Saul of Tarsus, 68. 
Savannah, Captured by Clinton 

(1778), 519. 
Savile, Sir George, 336. 
Savonarola, Girolamo, 622, 623. 
Saxby, 485. 

Saxons, The, 96, 106, 108, 114. 
Sayce, Professor A. H., 30. 
Scanderbeg, 211, 212. 
Scapegrace Dick, 292. 
Scarlet Cloak, The, 510. 
Scarlet Coat, The, 524. 
Scarlet Seal, The, 623. 
Scarron, Paul, 400. 
Schiller, Friedrich von, 

History of the Thirty Years' 
War, 614. 

Maid of Orleans, The, 188. 

Maria Stuart, 277. 

The Robbers, 614. 
Schism, The Great, 602. 
Scholar of Lindisfarne, A, 108. 
Scholasticism, 599. 
Schonbrunn, Treaty of (1809), 444, 

446. 
SCHURE, EDOUARD, 81. 

The Priestess of Isis, 81. 
SCHUSTER, ROSE, 216. 

The Triple Crown, 216. 
SCHUYLER, WILLIAM, 66. 

Under Pontius Pilate, 66. 
Scipio, Roman General, 49-51. 
SCOLLARD, CLINTON, 511. 

The Son of a Tory, 511. 
Scots Wha Hae {Burns), 154. 
SCOTT, JOHN REED, 223. 

Beatrix of Clare, 222. 
SCOTT, SIR WALTER, 142. 

Abbot, The, 271. 

Anne of Geierstein, 233. 

Betrothed, The, 142. 

Castle Dangerous, 155. 

Count Robert of Paris, 161. 

Fortunes of Nigel, The, 280. 

Heart of Midlothian, The, 322. 

Ivanhoe, 144. 

Kenilworth, 272. 

Legend of Montrose, A, 285. 

Monastery, The, 263. 

Old Mortality, 301. 

Peveril of the Peak, 299. 



73% 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



Quentin Durward, 231. 
Rob Roy, 318. 

Surgeon's Daughter, The, 337. 
Talisman, The, 163. 
Waverley, 326. 
Woodstock, 291. 
Scott, Walter, of Brauxholm, 193. 
Scott, General Winfield, 552. 
Scottish Chiefs, The, 153. 
Scourge of God, The, 403. 
Scouting For a King, 291. 
Scouting For Buller, 693. 
Scouting For Light Horse Harry, 

521. 
Scouting For Washington, 519. 
Scrope, Archbishop, 183. 
Sea Devils, The, 275. 
Sea of Tapan, Battle of (1905), 687. 
Seats of the Mighty, The, 589. 
SEAWELL, MOLLY E., 335. 
Decatur and Somers, 531. 
Little Jarvis, 530. 
Rock of the Lion, The, 335. 
Sebastopol, Siege of (1854-5), 

360, 361. 
Second To None, 330. 
Sedan, Battle of (1870), 469, 470. 
Secession of Southern States, 557. 
Sedgemoor, Battle of (1685), 303, 

304. 
Sejanus, Prefect of Tiberius, 65, 

66. 
Seminole Wars, (1718), 543; (1835- 

42), 548. 
Semiramis, 24. 
Semiramis, Queen of Assyria, 23, 

24. 
Sempronius, Roman General, 49. 
Seneca, Roman Philosopher, 74, 

75. 
SENIOR, DOROTHY, 105. 
The Clutch of Circumstance, 

105. 
Senlac, Hill of (Battle of Hast- 
ings), 130. 
Sepoy Mutiny (see Mutiny, The 

Indian). 
Septuagint, The (B. C. 285), 13. 
Serapeum, The, 17. 
Serapis, 18. 

Serapis, Worship of, 17. 
Serf, The, 137. 
Seringapatam, 337, 342. 
Seringapatam, Battle of (1799), 

342, 343. 
Servants of Sin, 406. 
Set of Rogues, A, 298. 
Seti I, 10. 



SETON, WILLIAM, 488. 

Romance of the Charter Oak, 
488. 
Seven Knights, The, 180. 
Seven Weeks' War, The (1866), 

616, 619. 
Seven Years' War, The (1756-63), 
322, 329-331, 408, 495, 613, 614. 
Sevenoaks, Battle of, 188. 
Severn, Valley of the, 107. 
Seward, William, 553. 
Seymour, Admiral, 685. 
Seymour, Sir William, 279. 
Sforza, 

Family of (Milan), 198. 

Francesco, 198, 199. 

Galeazzo, 240, 241. 

Lodovico, 624. 
Shadow of the Sword, The, 452. 
Shah Shujah, 364. 
Shakespeare, William, 268, 276, 
277. 

Plays of: Henry IV, 183, 185. 

Henry VI, 221. 

Julius Caesar, 60. 

King John, 148. 

Love's Labours Lost, 276. 

Richard III, 221. 
Shamash, The Sun-god, 28. 
Shan van Vocht, The, 342. 
Sharp, Archbishop of St. An- 
drews, 302. 
SHAW, ADELE MARIE, 488. 

The Coast of Freedom, 488. 
SHAW, F. H., 345. 

In the Days of Nelson, 345. 
Shawnee Indians, Conflict with, 

(1811), 536. 
She Loved a Sailor, 546. 
She That Hesitates, 672. 
She- Wolf, The, 627. 
She-Wolves of Machecoul, The, 

458. 
SHEEHAN, PATRICK A, 417. 

The Queen's Fillet, 417. 
Sheehy, Father, 333, 334. 
SHELLEY, MARY WOLL- 
STONECROFT, 228. 

The Fortunes of Perkin War- 
beck, 228. 
Shelley, Percy, 228. 
Shenandoah Valley, 564, 565. 
Sheridan, General Philip, 564-566. 
Sheriffmuir, Battle of, 318-320. 
Sherman Act, 572, 573. 
Sherman, General William T., 

564, 565. 
Sherwood Forest, 145-147. 



INDEX 



739 



Shiloh, Battle of (1862), 559, 561. 
Shira, The, 349. 
Shoes of Gold, 677. 
Shogun's Daughter, The, 684. 

Shore, Jane, 220. 

Shovel, Sir Cloudesley, 312. 

Shrewsbury, Battle of (1403), 182. 

Shut In, 662. 

Sicilies, The Two, 637, 638. 

Sicily, 

During the Peloponnesian War, 
41, 42. 

Related to the Punic Wars, 47. 
Siege of Leed's Castle, The, 157. 
Siege of Norwich Castle, The, 133. 
Siena, City of Italy, 198. 
SIENKIEWICZ, HENRYK, 73. 

Quo Vadis, 73. 

With Fire and Sword, 669. 
Sieyes, Emmanuel Joseph, 431. 
Sigismund, Emperor, 184, 207. 
Sign of Triumph, The, 165. 
Sikh Wars, The (1845-49), 364, 365. 
Silanus the Christian, 86. 
Silesian Wars, The (1740-42; 1745- 

5), 330, 612, 613. 
Sillegue, Armand de (Athos), 387. 
Silver Maple, The, 596. 
SIMMS, WILLIAM GILMORE, 
481. 

Eutaw, 521. 

Vasconcelos, 481. 

Yemassee, The, 492. 
Simnel, Lambert, 230. 
Simon de Montfort, 150. 
SIMPSON, VIOLET A., 346. 

The Sovereign Power. 346. 
Sioux Indian Conflict, (1876), 571. 
Sir Nigel, 177. 
Sir Raoul, 210. 
Sister to Evangeline, A, 588. 
Sitting-Bull, Indian Chief, 571. 
Skye, Isle of, 327. 
Slavery, 

English Slave Trade, 270, 309, 
339. 

Slavery in America, 

First Entered Politics, 546. 

Clay's Compromise of 1850, 552, 
553. 

Influence of Uncle Tom's Cabin, 
553. 

Lincoln-Douglas Debates, 554, 

556. _ 
Abolition Party, 555. 
Relation of, to the Civil War, 

557. _ 

Emancipation P r o c 1 a m ation, 
560. 



Slaves of Sabinus, Jew and Gen- 
tile, The, 79. 

Sluys, Siege of (1586), 662, 663. 
Smalcaldic League, The, 605. 
Small-Pox, Inoculation for, 317. 
Smerdis (Bardiza, Brother of 

Cambyses), 29, 30. 
Smith Brunt, 539. 
SMITH, E. M., 50. 

Aneroestes the Gaul, 50. 
Smith, Gerrit, 555. 
Smith, Captain John (Jamestown 

Settlement), 482, 483. 
Smith, Joseph, Founder of Mor- 
mon Sect, 546, 547. 
Smith, Sidney, Defender of Acre 

(1799), 427, 428. 
SNAITH, JOHN C, 291. 

Mistress Dorothy Marvin, 306. 
Patricia At the Inn, 291. 
Sobieski, Clementina, 320. 
Sobieski, John, King of Poland, 

612. 
Social Contract (Rousseau), 415. 
Social War, The (Rome, B. C. 91- 

89), 56, 57. 
Socialism in Germany, 618, 619. 
Society of United Irishmen, 341, 

345. 
Socrates, 38-40, 42. 
Soldier of Manhattan, A, 589. 
Soldier of Virginia, A, 494. 
Soldier Rigdale, 485. 
Solway Moss, Battle of (1542), 

260. 
Somers, Lieutenant, War with 

Tripoli, 532. 
Somerset, Duke of, 215, 216. 
Son of a Tory, The, 511. 
Son of Issachar, A, 66. 
Son of the Emperor, A, 169. 
Son of the Revolution, A, 533. 
Sons of Victory. 431. 
Sophia, Half-Si :er of Peter the 

Great, 671. 
Sophists, The, 38. 
Sophocles, 39, 40. 
Sorbon, Robert de, 370. 
Sorbonne, The, 371, 381. 
Sorceress of Rome, The, 167. 
Soto, Ferdinando de, 481. 
Soul of a Serf, The, 108. 
Soult, Nicholas Jean, 349, 441-444. 
South America, 

Brazil, Independence of (1825), 

544, 545. 
Chili, Revolt of, 544, 545. 
Columbia, Independence of 

(1821), 544, 545. 



740 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



Peru, Independence of (1821), 

545. 
South Sea Company, The, 316, 

320, 321. 
Sovereign Power, The, 346. 
Spanish-American War (1898), 

575-579. 
The Causes, 575. 
In Cuba, 576-578. 
In the Philippines, 576. 
Spanish Fury, The (The Nether- 
lands), 660., 
Spanish Succession, War of (see 

Succession Wars). 
Spartacus, The Gladiator, 57. 
SPEAR, JOHN W., 656. 

Rudolph of Rosenfeldt, 656. 
Spenser, Edmund, 268, 276. 
Spinoza, 663. 
Spinoza, Baruch, 663. 
Spion Kop, Battle of (1899), 692, 

693. 
Spirit of the Service, The, 576. 
Spithead Mutiny (1797), 344, 345. 
Splendid Impostor, A, 669. 
Splendid Knight, The, 281. 
Spottsylvania, Battle of (1864) 

563. 
Springhaven, 346. 
Spurs, Battle of the, (1513), 201. 
Spy, The, 443. 
STABLES, WILLIAM G., 478. 

Westward With Columbus, 478. 
STACPOOLE, HENRY DE 

VERE, 408. 
Drums of War, The, 466. 
Order of Release, The, 408. 
Stael, Madame de, 422. 
Stair, The Master of, 309. 
Stamford Bridge, Battle of (1066), 

131. 
Stamp Act, The, 500, 501. 
Standish, Miles, 485, 487. 
Stanley, James, Earl of Derby, 300. 
Stanley, William, 224, 225, 229. 
Stanwix, Fort, 510, 511. 
Star Chamber, The, 282. 
Star of Love, The, 31. 
Star Spangled Banner, The, 541. 
Starvecrow Farm, 350. 
STEAD, RICHARD, 183. 

Kinsman and Namesake, 183. 
STEEL, MRS. FLORA A., 366. 
On the Face of the Waters, 366. 
Steele, Richard, 313, 319. 
Steenwijk, Capture of (1592), 662, 

663. 
Steinkirk, Battle of (1692), 306, 

403. 



STENDHAL (MARIE-HENRI 
BEYLE), 452. 

The Chartreuse of Parma, 452. 
Stephania, Wife of Cresentius, 167. 
Stephen, King of England, 137, 

138. 
Stephen, Leslie, 144. 
STEPHENS, ROBERT N., 276. 

An Enemy to the King, 380. 

Gentleman Player, A, 276. 

Philip Winwood, 507. 
STEVENS, SHEPPARD, 165. 

Sign of Triumph, The, 165. 

Sword of Justice, The, 481. 
STEVENSON, BURTON E., 406. 

At Odds With the Regent, 406. 

Heritage, The, 529. 

Soldier of Virginia, A, 494. 
STEVENSON, LOUIS ROB- 
ERT, 216. 

The Black Arrow, 216. 
STEVENSON, PHILIP L., 609. 

Black Cuirassier, The, 609. 

Gendarme of the King, 614. 
Stewart, Alexander, Protype of 
Scott's Baron in Waverley, 
326. 
STEWART, NEWTON V., 169. 

A Son of the Emperor, 169. 
Stilicho, General of Honorius, 95, 

96. 
Stirling Bridge, Battle of (1297), 

153, 155. 
Stockton, Robert (Mexican War), 

551. 
STODDARD, WILLIAM O., 505. 

Dan Monroe, 505. 

Fight For the Valley, The, 510. 

Little Smoke, 571. 

Noank's Log, The, 518. 

Red Patriot, The, 509. 
Stoicism, 16, 86, 87. 
Stoke, Battle of, 230. 
Stonecutter of Memphis, 8. 
Storm and Treasure, 421. 
Story of a Cat and a Cake, The, 

609. 
Story of Ancient Wales, A, 71. 
Story of Tonty, The, 586. 
STOWE, HARRIET BEECH- 
ER, 553. 

Agnes of Sorrento, 621. 

Uncle Tom's Cabin, 553. 
STRAIN, EUPHANS H., 306. 

A Man's Foes, 306. 
STRANG, HERBERT, 441. 

Boys of the Light Brigade, 441. 

Brown of Moukden, 686. 



INDEX 



741 



Strange Story of Falconer Thring, 

The, 691. 
Stranger From Ionia, The, 39. 

Strassburg, Siege of (1870), 467. 
STRATEMEYER, EDWARD, 
496. 
At the Fall of Montreal, 589. 
At the Fall of Port Arthur, 686. 
Campaign in the Jungle, The, 

577. 
Fighting in Cuban Waters, 577. 
For the Liberty of Texas, 548. 
Fort in the Wilderness, The, 498. 
Marching On Niagara, 496. 
On to Pekin, 685. 
Under the Mikado's Flag, 687. 
Under Togo For Japan, 687. 
Young Volunteer in Cuba, A, 
576. 
Strawberry Handkerchief, The, 

501. 
Stray Pearls, 395. 
Strieltsi, Revolt of the (Russia), 

671. 
Strong Mac, 349. 
Stronger Wings, The, 617. 
Struggle For Rome, A, 102. 
Stuart, Arabella, 279, 281. 
Stuart, Charles Edward (Young 

Pretender), 325-327, 328, 407. 
Stuart Dynasty, The, 189, 315. 
STUART, ESME, 458. 

A Nest of Royalists, 458. 
Stuart, James Edward (Old Pre- 
tender), 313, 317, 319, 320. 
Stuyvesant, Dutch Governor, 489, 

490. 
Succession Wars, 

Austrian Succession (1740-48), 

255, 328, 329, 406, 612. 
Spanish Succession (1701-14), 
311-313, 317, 397, 404, 644, 645. 
Suetonius, Defeats Boadicea (A. 

D. 61), 76. 
Suidas, 74, 75. 
Sulla, Roman General, 56. 
Sullivan, General, 514. 
Sumter, Fort (1861), 558. 
Sun of Saratoga, The, 511. 
Sunderland, Robert, Minister of 

James II, 305. 
Supper, The Last, 104. 
Surajah Dowlah, 329, 330. 
Surge of War, The, 613. 
Surgeon's Daughter, The, 337. 
SUTCLIFFE, HAL LI WELL, 
327. 
The Lone Adventure, 327. 



Suvoroff, Alexei, 432, 679. 
SWAN, EDGAR, 132. 

Mark of the Cross, The, 674. 

Sword and the Cowl, The, 132. 
Sweyn, Danish King, 128. 
Swift, Jonathan, 313, 317, 319. 
Swiss Guard, The (French Revo- 
lution), 417. 
Sword and Assegai, 689. 
Sword and the Cowl, The, 132. 
Sword Decides, The, 195. 
Sword of Freedom, The, 305. 
Sword of Gideon, The, 311. 
Sword of Justice, The, 481. 
Sword of the Lord, The, 602. 
Sword of the Old Frontier, A, 

498. 
Sword of Wealth, The, 638. 
SYMONS, BERYL, 122. 

A Lady of France, 122. 



Taborites, The (Hussite Party), 

208. 
Tacitus, 72. 

Tagliacozzo, Battle of (1268), 171. 
Taken By Assault, 693. 
Taking of the Bastile, The, 416. 
Talavera, Battle of (1809), 442. 
Tale of Two Cities, A, 423. 
Talisman, The, 163. 
Taras Bulba, 668. 
Tarleton, British Officer in Ameri- 
ca, 519, 520. 
Tarry Thou Till I Come, 78. 
Tarsus, City of, 68. 
Tasso, Torquato, 628, 629. 

Jerusalem Delivered, 628. 

Rinaldo, 628. 
TAUTPHOEUS, BARON ESS 
VON, 445. 

At Odds, 445. 
Taylor, Jeremy, 284. 
TAYLOR, MARY IMLAY, 257. 

An Imperial Lover, 672. 

Anne Scarlett, 487. 

Cobbler of Nimes, The, 403. 

House of the Wizard, The, 257. 

On the Red Staircase, 671. 
Taylor, Zachary, 

Mexican War, 550. 

Administration of, 552-554. 
Tea Party, Boston, 502. 
Tecumseh, Indian Chief, 535. 
Temple, The Jewish, 25. 
Temple, Sir William, 299. 
TEMPLETON, FRANK, 548. 

Margaret Ballentine, 548. 



742 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



Ten Thousand, Retreat of the (B. 

C. 401), 42. 
Tennyson, Alfred, 

Idylls of the King, 103, 104. 
Charge of the Light Brigade, 360, 

361. 
Tention! 440. 
Terrible Czar, The, 668. 
Terror, Reign of (French Revolu- 
tion), 421, 423, 425, 428. 
Terror, The White, 416. 
Test Act, The (England), 296, 

298, 304, 341. 
Tetzel, Johann, 602. 
Tewkesbury, Battle of (1471), 218, 

219. 
Texas, Independence of (1836), 

547, 548. 
THACKERAY, WILLIAM M., 

331. 
Henry Esmond, 331, 332. 
Virginians, The, 331. 
Thaddeus of Warsaw, 679. 
Thais, 15. 

Thanet, Isle of, 106. 
Thebes, 9, 10. 
Themistocles, 35, 36. 
Theodora, Wife of Justinian, 101, 

102. 
Theodoric, King of the Visigoths, 

97. 
Theodosius the Great, 17, 18, 93, 

94, 97. 
Theokleia, of Iconium, 71. 
Theon, Father of Hypatia, 19. 
Thermopylae, Battle • of (B. C. 

480), 31, 35-37. 
Thessalonians, Paul's Epistles to 

the, 70. 
Thessalonica, 94. 
Thirty Years' War, The (1618- 

1648), 598. 
First Stage, 606, 607. 
Second Stage, 606-610. 
Third Stage, 606. 
Fourth Stage, 606, 610. 
Peace of Westphalia, 610. 
Thomas, The Apostle, 66. 
Thomas, General George H., 562, 

565. 
THOMAS, H. E., 638. 

The Sword of Wealth, 638. 
THOMPSON, DANIEL P., 503. 
The Green Mountain Boys, 503. 
Thor, The god, 106, 109. 
Thothmes III, 8, 9. 
Three Greek Children, 36. 
Three Musketeers, The, 387. 



Thrice Captive, 645. 
Through Russian Snows, 447. 
Through Swamp and Glade, 548. 
Through the Sikh War, 364. 
THRUSTON, LUCY M., 540. 

Jack and His Island, 540. 
THYNNE, ROBERT, 346. 

Ravensdale, 346. 
Tiberius, Emperor, 65, 69. 
Ticonderoga, Fort, Taken by Allen 

(1775), 503. 
Tientsin, Relief of, 685. 
Tiger of Mysore, The, 342. 
Tigellinus, The Prefect, 75. 
Tiglath-Pileser III, 24, 25. 
Tilsit, Peace of (1807), 438. 
TILTON, DWIGHT, 505. 

My Lady Laughter, 505. 
Time and Chance, 556. 
Timothy, Paul's Epistle to, 76. 
Tippecanoe, Battle of (1811), 536. 
Tippemuir, Battle of (1644), 285. 
Tippoo Sultan, 337, 342, 343. 
Titus, Emperor, 77-79. 
To Arms! 319. 
To Herat and Cabul, 363. 
Tobacco, Cultivation of in Vir- 
ginia, 484. 
Tockely, Insurrection of (1682), 

612. 
TODD, GEORGE EYRE, 290. 

Cavalier and Covenant, 290. 
Togo, Admiral, 686, 687. 
TOLSTOY, COUNT ALEXEI 
K.,668. 

The Terrible Czar, 668. 
TOLSTOY, LYOF, 436. 

War and Peace, 436, 439, 448. 
Toltecs, The, in Mexico, 479. 
Tom Burke of Ours, 438. 
TOMLINSON, EVERETT T., 
510. 

In the Camp of Cornwallis, 510. 

Marching Against the Iroquois, 
514. 

Red Chief, The, 514. 

Washington's Young Aids, 510. 

Young Blockaders, The, 559. 
Tone, Theobold Wolfe, 341, 342. 
Tonty, Henri de, 585. 
TOPELIUS, ZACHARIAS, 608. 

The King's Ring, 608. 
Tories, The, 297. 
Toronto, McKnight's Attack on, 

593. 
Torquemada, Tomas de, 247, 248, 

641. 
Touchstone of Fortune, The, 296. 



INDEX 



743 



Toulon, Captured by Napoleon 

(1793), 427. 
Toulouse, Battle of (1814), 442, 

443. 
TOURGEE, A. W., 570. 

Bricks Without Straw, 570. 
Tournefort, Joseph Pitton de, 404. 
Tours, Battle of (732), 113. 
Toussaint L'Ouverture, 433, 434. 
Tower of London, 221. 
Tower of London, The, 265. 
Towton, Battle of (1461), 218. 
Trafalgar, 347, 437. 
Trafalgar, Battle of (1805), 346, 

347, 437. 
Tragedy of the Dacres, The, 255. 
Tragic Comedians, The, 618. 
Trail of the Sword, The, 587. 
Traitor or Loyalist, 559. 
Traitor, The, 569. 
Traitor's Escape, A, 523. 
Trajan, Emperor, 14, 83, 84. 
Transcendentalism, School of, 549. 
Trasimenus Lake, Battle of, 49, 

50. 
Trebia, Battle of (Punic Wars), 

49. 
Trent, Council of (1545-63), 627. 
Trenton, Battle of (1776), 509. 
Trinity, Doctrine of the, 94. 
Triple Alliance, The (1883), 620. 
Triple Crown, The, 216. 
Tripoli, War with (1801-5), 531, 

537. 
Triumvirate, First, 58. 
TROLLOPE, ANTHONY, 421. 

La Vendee, 421. 
Tromp, Maarten van, 292. 
Troyes, Treaty of (1420), 183, 202. 
True Heart, 603. 
TRUE, JOHN P., 519. 
Morgan's Men, 520. 
On Guard, 520. 
Scouting For Light Horse 

Harry, 521. 
Scouting For Washington, 519. 
True Man and Traitor, 346. 
True to the Old Flag, 525. 
True Unto Death, 681. 
Tryphaina, Queen of Pontus, 71. 
Tudor, The House of, 226, 253. 
Tuileries, Attack on the, 417-419, 

427. 
Tulips, Cultivation of in Holland, 

665. 
Turbulent Town, A, 202. 
Turenne, Henri de, 393, 394, 397, 

398, 610. 



Turgot, Robert Jacques, 410. 
Turks, Ottaman, 209, 611. 
TURNBULL, MRS. LAW- 
RENCE, 242. 

Golden Book of Venice, The, 
629. 

Royal Pawn of Venice, The, 242. 
Turnout, Battle of (1597), 662. 
TWAIN, MARK, 105, 109. 

A Yankee at the Court of King 
Arthur, 105. 
Twenty Years After, 393. 
Two Dianas, The, 374. 
Two-Handed Sword, The, 325. 
Two Sicilies, The, 166. 
Two Thousand Years Ago, 57. 
TYNAN, KATHARINE, 345. 

Rose of the Garden, 345. 
Tyndale, William, 256. 
Tyrants, The Thirty, 15, 88. 
Tyre, Siege and Fall of (B. C. 

332), 44, 45. 
Tyrell, Sir James, 221. 
Tyrell, Walter, 135, 137. 
TYTLER, SARAH, 357. 

A Daughter of the Manse, 357. 



U 



Uarda, 10. 

Ulandi, Battle of (1880), 690, 691. 

Ulm, Taken by Napoleon (1805), 

436. 
Uncle Tom's Cabin, 553. 
Under Pontius Pilate, 66. 
Under the Dome of St. Paul's, 314. 
Under the Foeman's Flag, 275. 
Under the Iron Flail, 472. 
Under the Mikado's Flag, 687. 
Under the Red Rose, 224. 
Under the Southern Cross, 481. 
Under the Wolf's Fell, 319. 
Under Three Kings, 305. 
Under Togo For Japan, 687. 
Under Wellington's Command, 

443. 
Ungava, 591. 
Ungava, Labrador, 591. 
Uniformity, Act of (1662), 293, 

296. 
Unknown to History, 273. 
Urban II, Pope, 160, 161. 
Urban VI, Pope, 194, 207. 
Urith, 304. 
Utrecht, 

Union of (1579), 661. 

Treaty of (1713), 316, 328. 



744 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



Vale of Cedars, The, 641. 
Valencia, Battle of, 440. 
Valenciennes, Siege of (1567), 

656, 657. 
Valentinian, Emperor, 93. 
Valerian, Emperor, 53, 59. 
Valerius, 83. 
Valette, Jean La, 628. 
Valley Forge, 512. 
Valley Forge, Winter quarters of 

Washington, 512. 
VALLINGS, HAROLD, 304. 

By Dulvercombe Waters, 304. 
Valmy, Battle of (1792), 418. 
Valois, House of, 382. 
Van Buren, President Martin, 

548-550. 
Vane, Henry, Governor of Ply- 
mouth Colony, 486, 487. 
Vanishing Smuggler, The, 349. 
Vasconcelos, 481. 
Vashti, Wife of Ahasuerus, 31, 32. 
Velvet Glove, The, 649. 
Vendee, Uprising in, 420, 421, 425. 
Venetii, The, defeated by Caesar, 

58. 
Venezuelan Dispute, The, 573. 
Vengeance is Mine, 451. 
Veranilda, 102. 

Vercingetorix, Defeated by Cae- 
sar, 58. 
Verdon, Treaty of (843), 116, 166. 
Vergil, 63. 
Vergilius, 63. 
Veronica Playfair, 316. 
Verrochio, Andre del, 239. 
Versailles, Court of, 402, 405. 
Verulamium, 92. 
Vespasian, Emperor, 77-79. 
Vesuvius, Eruption of (A. D. 79), 

80. 
Vicomte de Bragelonne, The, 395. 
Vicksburg, Siege and fall of 

(1863), 560, 561. 
Victor Emmanuel, King of Italy, 

637, 638. 
Victor Emmanuel III, 638. 
Victor of Salamis, A, 36. 
Victoria, Queen of Great Britain, 

Characterized, 354. 

Prime Ministers of, 355. 

Irish Agitation, 355, 362, 363. 

The Crimean War, 359-361. 

The Fenian Rebellion, 362. 

Conflicts in India, 363-367. 
Vienna, Siege of (1682), 612. 



VIGNY, ALFRED VICTOR 

DE, 389. 
Cinq-Mars, 389. 
Vigo Bay, Spain, 310-312. 
Villars, Suppressed the Cami- 

sards 403 
Villeroi, Marshal, 312, 633. 
Villiers, George (Duke of Buck- 
ingham), 280, 388. 
Vimiero, Battle of (1808), 441. 
Vinci, Leonardo da, 621. 
Vire, Mademoiselle de, Niece of 

Turenne, 382. 
Virgin Fortress, The, 469. 
Virgin of the Sun, The, 480. 
Virginia Company, The, 482. 
Virginians, The, 331. 
Visconti Family, of Milan, 194, 

198, 199. 
Visconti, Filippo Maria, 198, 199. 
Visigoths, The, 96, 97, 100, 101. 
Vitellius, Emperor, 77. 
Vitellius, Prefect of Syria, 67. 
Vitoria, Battle of (1813), 442, 443. 
Vittoria, 635. 
Viva Christina, 648. 
Volturno, Battle of (I860), 638. 
Voltaire, Francois Marie, 404, 

415. 
Volunteer with Pike, A, 533. 
Vortigern, A British chief, 105. 
VOYNICH, MRS. ETHEL L., 

634. 
The Gadfly, 634. 
Vulgate, The, 256. 
Vultures, The, 682. 

W 

Wacousta, 498. 
WAGNALLS, MABEL, 408. 
The Palace of Danger, 408. 
Wagram, Battle of (1809), 444, 

445. 
Wakefield, Battle of (1460), 216, 

219. 
Waldenses, The, 118. 
Waldo, Peter, 118. 
Walewska, Countess of, 439. 
Walewski, Count Alexander, 439. 
WALKER, AGNESE LAURIE, 
32. 
Hadassah, Queen of Persia, 32. 
WALKER, FRANCES M. COT- 
TON, 652. 
Cloister to Court, 652. 
Walker, Rev. George, 306. 
Walker, Helen, Prototype of 
Jeanie Dean in 
The Heart of Midlothian, 323. 



INDEX 



745 



WALLACE, LEW, 64. 

Ben Hur, 64. 

Prince of India, The, 212. 
Wallace, Sir William, 153-155, 

317. 
Wallenstein, Austrian general, 

609, 610. 
Wallingford Castle, Siege of, 139. 
Wallingford, Treaty of, 138. 
WALLIS, A. S, C, 656. 

In Troubled Times, 656. 
WALLIS, HENRY M., 335. 

As It Happened, 335. 
WALLOTH, WILHELM, 11. 

The King's Treasure House, 11. 
Walpole, Sir Robert, 319. 
Walsingham, Sir Francis, 273, 

274. 
Walters, Lucy, Mistress of 

Charles II, 295-297. 
Wanderer and King, 290. 
Wandering Jew, The, 79, 161, 213. 
Wanton, The, 205. 
War and Peace, 436, 439, 448. 
War of 1812, 535-542. 
War of Women, The, 395. 
Warbeck, Perkin, 228, 229, 259. 
WARD, BRYAN W., 150. 
The Forest Prince, 150. 
WARD, C. H. DUDLEY, 76. 

Boudicca, 76. 
Ward of King Canute, The, 128. 
Ward of the King, A, 372. 
Warren, Joseph, at Bunker Hill, 

504, 505. 
Wartburg, Castle of, 603. 
Warwick, Earl of (Richard Ne- 
ville), 215, 217-219. 
Washington, Capital of the 

United States, 529, 530. 
Washington, George, 

Seven Years' War, 331, 332, 494, 

495. 
American Revolutionary War, 

505-525. 
Administration of, 528-530. 
Death of, 530. 
Washington's Young Aids, 510. 
Wat Tyler's Rebellion (1381), 

180, 181. 
Waterloo, 453. 
Waterloo, Battle of (1815), 451- 

453. 
WATSON, HELEN H., 347. 

Andrew Goodfellow, 347. 
Waverly, 326. 
Wayne, Anthony, Indian troubles 

(1749), 529. 
Wearing of the Green, The, 362. 



WEBB, MRS. J. B., 71. 

Pomponia, 71. 
Webster, Daniel, 553. 
WEBSTER, HENRY K., 559. 

Traitor or Loyalist, 559. 
Wedmore, Treaty of, 125. 
Weimar, 614, 615. 
Wellesley, Lord, 342, 343. 
Wellington, Duke of, 

Peninsular War, 349, 440-444. 
Waterloo Campaign, 450-454. 
In Parliament, 351. 
Wentworth, Miss Patricia, 425. 
A Marriage Under the Terror, 
425. 
Wenzel's Inheritance, 208. 
Wesley, Charles, 323-325. 
Wesley, John, 323-325. 
WESTALL, WILLIAM, 445. 

A Red Bridal, 445. 
Westminster Abbey, 257. 
Westminster Abbey, < 129. 
Westminster Confession of Faith, 

285. 
Weston, Jessie L., 103. 
Westphalia, Kingdom of, 438. 

Peace of (1648), 607, 610, 611. 
West Point, Commanded by Ben- 
edict Arnold, 522. 
Westward Ho! 274. 
Westward With Columbus, 478. 
Wetherell, Sir Charles, 352. 
Weyler, Spanish General in Cuba, 

575. 
WEYMAN, STANLEY J., 350. 
Abbess of Vlaye, The, 384. 
Chippinge, 351. 
Gentleman of France, A, 382. 
House of the Wolf, The, 379. 
Starvecrow Farm, 350. 
Whalley, Edward, 294. 
When Hawkins Sailed the Sea, 

270. 
When Knighthood Was in Flower, 

254. 
When London Burned, 298. 
When Wilderness Was King, 536. 
Where the Red Volleys Poured, 

561. 
Whigs, The, 297, 316, 317. 
WHISHAW, FREDERICK J., 
448. 
Boris the Bear Hunter, 671. 
Boyar of the Terrible, A, 667. 
Forbidden Name, A, 675. 
Moscow, 448. 
Nathalia, 670. 

Near the Tsar, Near Death, 673. 
Splendid Impostor, A, 669. 



746 



HISTORICAL FICTION 



Whisky Ring, The, 570. 
WHISTLER, C. W., 126. 
For King or Empress, 137. 
Gerald the Sheriff, 135. 
King Alfred's Viking, 126. 
King Olaf's Kinsman, 128. 
White Aprons, 483. 
White Cockade, The, 421. 
White Company, The, 178. 
White Conquerors of Mexico, The 

479. 
White Gauntlet, The, 312. 
White Hoods, The, 201. 
White Mountain, Battle of, 607. 
White Queen, The 255. 
White Shield, The 70. 
WHITE, STEWART E., 590. 

Conjurer's House, 590. 
White Terror and the Red, The, 

681. 
WHITE, WILLIAM H., 350. 
The Revolution in Tanner's 
Lane, 350. 
Whiteboy Movement, 333. 
Whitefriars, 298. 
Whites and the Blues, The, 428. 
Whitfield, George, 324. 
WHITING, MARY B., 627. 
The Plough of Shame, 627. 
Whittier, John G., 555. 

St. John, 583. 
Wieland, Christof Martin, 614, 615. 
Wight, Isle of, 109, 227, 286, 287. 
Wilberforce, William, 340. 
Wilderness, Battle of the (1864), 

562, 563. 
Wilderness Road, The, 529. 
Wilfred, Bishop of York, 109. 
WILKINS, MARY E. (MARY 
E. FREEMAN), 484. 
The Heart's Highway, 484. 
WILLARD, RACHEL, 190. 

Catherine Douglas, 190. 
William I, (the Conqueror), 130- 

132. 
William II, (Rufus), of England, 

133-135. 
William III, of England 299, 304, 

306-310. 
William IV, of England, 351-353. 
William of Orange (William the 

Silent), 652-662. 
William III, of Orange, 665. 
William Henry, Fort, 496, 589. 
WILLIAMS, CHURCHILL, 559. 

The Captain, 559. 
WILLIAMS, EGERTON R., 197. 
Ridolfo, 197. 



WILLIAMS, HUGH NOEL, 408. 

The Hand of Leonore, 408. 
Williams, Roger, 487. 
Winchester, Battle of (1864), 564. 
Winning His Spurs, 164. 
Winthrop, John, 487. 
Wishart, George (Scotch reform- 
er), 262. 
Witan, The, 129. 
Witch Queen of Khem, The, 10. 
Witchcraft, 488. 
With Buller in Natal, 692. 
With Cochrane the Dauntless, 

545. 
With Fire and Sword, 669. 
With Frederick the Great, 613. 
With Lafayette at Yorktown, 525. 
With Lee in Virginia, 558. 
With Moore at Corunna, 440. 
With Musqueteer and Redskin, 

486. 
With Perry on Lake Erie, 538. 
With Porter in the Essex, 539. 
With Roberts to Pretoria, 693. 
With Rogers' Rangers, 497. 
With Shield and Assegai, 691. 
With the Allies to Pekin, 684. 
With the British Legion, 647. 
With the Flag in the Channel, 517. 
With Warren at Bunker Hill, 505. 
With Wellington to Waterloo, 452. 
With Wolfe in Canada, 495. 
With Wolseley to Kumasi, 690. 
Witt, John de, 664, 665. 
Wittikind, The Saxon, 115. 
Wizard King, The, 611. 
Woden, The god, 106, 109. 
Wolf the Saxon, 131. 
Wolfe, James, English general, 

496, 589. 
Wolf's Head, 146. 
Wolseley, Lord Garnet, 

Riel's Rebellion in Canada, 595, 
596. 

Relief of Khartoum, 596. 

Ashantee War, 690. 
Wolsey, Thomas, Archbishop, 254, 

256, 260. 
Wolvesey Castle, Siege of, 138. 
Won By the Sword, 610. 
Woodman, The, 225. 
WOODS, EDITH E., 576. 

The Spirit of the Service, 576. 
WOODS, MARGARET L., 440. 

The King's Revoke, 440. 
Woodstock, 291. 
Woodville, Sir Edward, 227. 
Woodville, Richard (Earl Rivers), 
217, 221-223. 



INDEX 



747 



Worcester, Battle of (1651), 290. 
Worcester, Bishop of, 133. 
World War, The (1914-1918), 579, 

620, 676. 
World's Desire, The, 11. 
World's Fair, The Chicago, 

(1893), 573. 
Worms, The Diet of (1521), 600, 

601, 603. 
Worship, Animal, 8. 
Worth, Battle of (1870), 467. 
Wren, Christopher, 314. 
Wulnoth the Wanderer, 125. 
Wurtemberg, Duke of, 614. 
Wyatt, Sir Thomas, Rebellion of 

(1554), 264, 266, 267. 
Wycliffe, John, 179, 184, 206, 255. 
WYNNE, MAY, 191. 

Henry of Navarre, 379. 

King's Masquerade, A, 260. 

King's Tragedy, A, 191. 

Maid of Brittany, A, 236. 

Red Fleur-de-Lys, The, 416. 
Wyoming Valley (American Rev- 
olution), 514. 



Yellow Frigate, The, 228. 
Yellow Shield, The, 691. 
Yemassee Indians, Carolina, 491. 

492. 
Yemassee, The, 492. 
Yolando, Maid of Burgundy, 234 
YONGE, CHARLOTTE M., 79. 

Caged Lion, The, 189. 

Constable's Tower, The, 148. 

Kenneth, 448^ 

Slaves of Sabinus, Jew and Gen- 
tile, The, 79. 

Stray Pearls, 395. 

Unknown to History, 273. 
York, Duke of, 215, 216. 
Yorktown, Siege of (1781), 524. 
Young Blockaders, The, 559. 
Young, Brigham, 547. 
Young Buglers, The, 442. 
Young Carthaginian, The, 49. 
Young Colonists, The, 691. 
Young Macedonian in the Army 

of Alexander, A, 45. 
Young Man Married, A, 443. 
Young Pioneers, The, 586. 
Young Volunteer in Cuba, A, 576. 



Xanthippe, Wife of Socrates, 38. 

Xenophon, 42. 

Xerxes I, King of Persia, 30, 31, 

35-37. 
X-Y-Z Affair, 531. 



Yankee at the Court of King 

Arthur, A, 105. 
Yarn of Old Harbor Town, The, 

347. 
Year One, The, 417. 
YEATS, SIDNEY K. LEVETT, 

376. 
Orrain, 376, 



Zachary Phips, 533. 

Zama, Defeat of Hannibal at, 49. 

Zanoni, 423. 

Zara, in Dalmatia, 211. 

Zeno, Founder of Stoicism, 16, 18. 

Ziska, John, 207. 

ZOLA, EMILE, 460, 473. 

Downfall, The, 469. 

His Excellency, 464. 

Mysteries of Marseilles, The, 
460. 
ZOLLINGER, GULIELMA, 149. 

The Rout of the Foreigner, 149. 
Zoroaster, 28. 
Zululand, 690, 691. 
Zumalacarregui, Thomas, 648. 






• 



IV* 



Deacidified using the Bookkeeper pro< 
Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: Nov. 2007 

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